


We Can Be Heroes!

by Utini501



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: AU, Action/Adventure, But mostly in the first few chapters, Character Development, Gen, Peridot and Steven are important, Some Humor, Some sad bits, long chapters, long story, space adventures
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-24
Updated: 2019-02-11
Packaged: 2019-09-25 20:23:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 29,642
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17128136
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Utini501/pseuds/Utini501
Summary: In AU diverging from Same Old World, Lapis is outraged to know that Peridot is going to be sharing the barn that Steven was letting her stay in. And instead of working things out... she leaves, heading off to space in order to get a fresh start away from Homeworld and the Crystal Gems. But out in the Nova Veluti System, Lapis still can't catch a break: her ship runs out of fuel, and she's forced to catch a ride from a friendly alien drifter. And soon, her life spirals out of control as she gets caught up in the schemes of a gang of space pirates and their eccentric leader: a renegade Gem turned criminal mastermind who is VERY interested in her abilities...(Remake of an old fic of the same name, updates weekly!)





	1. Not-So Same Old World

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lapis contemplates staying on Earth at Uncle Andy's barn... until Peridot swings by and she has a meltdown. This is where my AU splits from canon.

 

It had been the best night that Lapis Lazuli had experienced in her life. Not to say that it had much competition mind you, seeing how the past 5000 years or so had awful tragedies in store for the blue Gem every night. Whether it was being trapped inside of a mirror for a majority of her life, being set free and trying to desperately flee the planet she was trapped on with a broken gem, being captured and tortured by the ones that she were supposed to be safe around, or having to imprison herself in a fusion with a sadistic thug for months on end to protect the only one she cared about... saying that Lapis wasn't a stranger to bad nights (and days, for that matter) would certainly be underselling it.

But yet, this was a genuinely fun night indeed. After being freed from Malachite, Lapis had been dead set on leaving Earth. The lush blue planet had caused her nothing but grief and misery, and it didn't help that it was home to the so-called heroes known as the Crystal Gems who allowed her to remain imprisoned inside that mirror. But yet, where could she go? When she tried to return to Homeworld last time, she was captured, interrogated, and tortured under suspicion of being a Crystal Gem spy. And if she showed up without Jasper and Peridot in tow... she didn't even want to think about the punishment they'd inflict on her. So while she wracked her brains on what to do, she spent the day hanging out with Steven, who she carried as they flew across the countryside and briefly visited the locations known as Empire City and Jersey. But it was late at night, and she still didn't really have an answer as to if she wanted to stay on Earth, or fly off to some obscure corner of space or something. If she stayed on Earth, she had to remain on the same planet with the Crystal Gems, who would likely try to hunt her down and shatter her for escaping the mirror. But if she flew off to space, all bets were off. She'd have to flap around the infinite collective of stars, planets, asteroids, and other such things and hope that Homeworld wouldn't catch her. The mighty empire was always efficient at colonizing planets, and after being stuck in that mirror for 5000 years, god only knew how far it spanned now...

However, there was one big plus to staying on Earth. She'd be able to regularly visit the one person she could ever trust: Steven Universe! A peculiar boy who seemed to be half-Gem, half-human, she had met Steven about a year or so ago when one of the Crystal Gems by the name of Pearl entrusted him with Lapis' mirror. And unlike all the people who callously used the mirror without wondering about who could have been inside, Steven actually talked to her! Using a limited amount of communication, she successfully befriended him to the point to where he was willing to defy his superior's orders and freed her from the mirror, and even fixed her cracked Gem with his healing powers! Ever since that day she's looked out for him, and done all she could to keep him safe: warning him of a Homeworld attack, lying to Jasper and Peridot about his abilities, and even trapping herself under the ocean... it was sad because the two usually only got to meet under awful circumstances.

But now? The two were flying high above the sky, with Steven clinging to her back while she soared above the clouds. Now, they both truly got to hang out together, with no strings attached. For once, they got to have fun. But yet, Lapis still felt an odd clenching feeling deep inside her core. That deep uncertainty that even while playing around with Steven, she still wasn't quite free as long as she was still on that planet...

"For a moment," Lapis stated sadly as she flapped her wings, "I really felt like things were different. But they're not. No matter where I go, I'm trapped."

"But you're not!" Steven cut in, the concern heavy in his voice, "You're not underwater, you're not in a mirror! This time, you're free!"

"But I'm still on Earth!" Lapis protested, but Steven wasn't having any of that.

"Yeah, but nothing is still on Earth! Everything's always changing: leaves, cities, even Jersey changes! My dad says the rest stops used to be pretty gross, but now they have sushi!" He then chuckled slightly before continuing, "This isn't the same world that held you prisoner! Not anymore, and I know it doesn't feel like home, but maybe that can change too!"

'Change, huh...' Lapis glanced away, but smiled as she did so. She may not have had any earthly idea what rest stops, sushi, or even dads were, but she could tell where Steven was coming from. 5000 years after her imprisonment, the Earth had changed exponentially. What she had initially seen as a dull, primitive planet was now a beautiful, diverse landscape with pretty cities of lights, forests that shifted colors when seasons would pass, and rough yet oddly likable industrial cities of smog and hatred. And who knows? If the world changed that much over time, maybe all those changes included one that could let a Lapis Lazuli live a quiet life away from strife and discord...

The starry sky was now shifting from deep blue to pinkish-purple, with the stars themselves fading from view one by one as the duo approached the barn Steven and the Crystal Gems had been staying at. Lapis touched down, and let Steven drop back onto the ground.

"I know you can't go back to Homeworld, but if you stay here, it'll be your choice to stay here." Steven promised. He then reached into his pants pocket and placed something in Lapis' hand. It was a leaf, specifically a dry, brittle, yellowed leaf from the forest the pair visited during their trip together. Lapis held it up to her face and studied it, memories of the beautiful forest and it's seasonal color-changing leaves flooded back. It was rather small, and even a little insignificant, but it was oddly amusing that she never took notice until now.

"It's funny, for all this time I spent on Earth, I barely saw any of it!"

"That's not funny!" Steven cut in, "That's super sad."

 _'Always the empathetic one, aren't you Steven?'_  Lapis giggled internally. She took a long glance at the horizon, and watched the sun creep into the sky. A new dawn was approaching, not just for the planet, but for an indecisive Gem looking to start a new life. One where she could live in the countryside, away from the Crystal Gems and away from Homeworld, but at the same time, would always be available to hang out and play with a boy who shared her love for fart noises...

"I... I wanna see it."

"Yeah?!" Steven asked, with an ever-growing smile on his face.

"I wanna stay here!" Lapis stated with confidence, also with a rare smile on her face.

"Here?! Like,  _here_  here?!"

"Yeah!" Lapis responded cheerfully, " _Here_  here!"

(Silence)

 "Yes! Hear hear, everybody!"

 _'No... Oh NO.'_  Lapis thought,  _'Don't tell me that was-!'_

"Uh, what are we talking about?"

It was exactly who Lapis thought, alright. After being interrogated for information about the Earth by her, how could Lapis mistake the high, nasally voice for anyone but Peridot? Just the very sight of the tiny green Gem rounding the corner of the barn and approaching the duo caused every bit of happiness and goodwill she had built up the previous night to come rushing out of her, like helium from a deflating balloon. She seemed to be lacking her limb enhancers for whatever reason, but Lapis was too infuriated to care.

"YOU?!"

"Lazuli, nice to see you up and about!" Peridot replied casually, as if she was greeting an office buddy during a coffee break as opposed to addressing a Gem she had previously hurt and locked up.

"What are  _you_  doing here?!" Lapis angrily demanded. And it wasn't a question that was devoid of merit, either. She was an enemy of the Crystal Gems, so what was she doing on their territory? And why wasn't Steven attacking her?!

"This is my home away from Homeworld!" Peridot stated confidently.

"No it's not! It's mine! Right, Steven?!" She turned to the small boy for affirmation, with high hopes that he'd stand by her side and shoo the little gremlin off the premises. But for whatever reason, he wasn't saying anything. He was just awkwardly glancing at the ground and twiddling his thumbs.

"Uh... oh boy." Steven sighed and swallowed before looking up at Lapis. "Lapis? I'm uh... well... oh man, I totally screwed up..."

"Screwed up how?" Lapis asked, her voice partly filled with anger, partly with dread.

"Well uh... I totally forgot to let you know that, uh... that we were letting Peridot stay at the barn, too..."

That was exactly the last thing Lapis needed to hear. "Wh-WHAT?! WHY?!" She didn't want to yell at Steven, but she couldn't help it: her emotions were bubbling up hotter than lava from a volcano.

"Lapis, please!" Steven protested, "I know it looks bad-"

"Well of course it does, SHE'S THE ENEMY! Sent straight from Homeworld to hurt you! Why in the world would you let someone like her stay here?!"

"Hey, just cool it down for a second, Lazuli!" Peridot cut in, a goofy smile on her face as she raised a hand in what Lapis assumed was supposed to be a calming gesture, "To quote Amethyst,  _chillax!_ I'm not aligned with Homeworld anymore, so just calm down!"

"No, I'm NOT going to calm down! I'm not giving up the barn to someone like you!" Lapis spat. Peridot then frowned, her casual cheerfulness replaced with annoyance.

"Oh, don't be such a whiner, Lazuli!" Peridot protested, "I was here first, so I get the barn! That's completely fair!"

"NO IT'S NOT!" Lapis screamed back, "You don't deserve it!"

"Guys, GUYS!" Steven cut in desperately. He stood in the middle of both Gems in an attempt to keep a potential fight from breaking out, which he fully expected given Lapis' intense body language. "Come on, you guys don't have to fight over the barn! Can't you just share it?!" Lapis looked less than amused, but Peridot lightened up considerably.

"Share the barn... of course! I like the cut of your Gem, Steven Quartz!" Peridot grinned with a smug look on her face as she playfully elbowed Steven's arm. She strolled up to Lapis and did the same to her, this time doing it multiple times as opposed to once with Steven. "So what do you think about that, Lazuli? Neither of us have to miss out on a nice, comfy abode far from civilization! We can live together out in the countryside, just the two of us! We can watch the sun rise, spend hours pouring over the Camp Pining Hearts DVD's I've stockpiled, discuss our preferred pairings once we're through... come on! How can you say no to being Barn Mates?"

"Oh, I can." Lapis responded coldly. Peridot stopped nudging her arm, and Lapis could see a tiny little frown on her face when she did so. "Because I don't really want to be "Barn-Mates" with someone who USED AND ABUSED ME!"

"Lapis!" Steven desperately scolded, "Come on! Just wait, and-" But Lapis wasn't having any of it. In a literal flash of light, watery wings sprouted from the gem on her back. Without a word and a scowl on her face, she flew off into the sky and soared away, absolutely furious with this recent development as she made her way towards a cluster of trees...

  **______________________**

"LAPIS! Lapis, don't go! Come on, Lapis!" But it was too late: Lapis made it perfectly clear that she wasn't coming back, and just kept soaring further and further away, until she was a small blue speck on the horizon. He noted that she was flying past the distant train tracks and heading in the direction where the forest they flew through was...

"AGH! That dumb, ruddy, doltish... CLOD!" Peridot spat. She was hopping up and down, all flustered and peeved, while her triangular hair was all bristly as if she was an angry cat. "Seriously, what's her problem?! I was being NICE! I was offering to divide the barn, I made it clear that I'm on your side... what more could she want?!

Steven's only response was to sigh while he glanced down at the ground. Peridot wasn't the only one disappointed by the outcome of these events: he thought Lapis was happy! He thought that after their trip through the Tri-State area, he'd be able to help her move past the rather nasty conga-line of trauma she had experienced! But it was as clear as the sunny sky that Lapis still had a lot of issues that needed resolving: some with the Crystal Gems, others with the Earth itself, and even some with...

"Peridot," Steven sighed, "Look, I know you mean well. You wanna see her happy, so do I! But... she's been through a lot."

"So?!" Peridot snapped, "That doesn't give her an excuse to act so rude to me!"

"Yeah, I know," Steven sighed again, "But... well, you DID keep her captive on the hand ship. And she said something about using and abusing her, what did she mean by that?"

Peridot yelped in shock and stood there wide-eyed for a second. She then narrowed her eyes and did a little growl of annoyance. "Well... she uh... Hey, look, why're you jumping down my throat like this? Lazuli's the one being melodramatic! It wasn't like I WANTED to make her feel bad! I'm not going to disobey a Diamond's orders!" Her eyes then bulged when she realized that she was caught in a contradiction. "Well uh... I mean yeah, I helped you with neutralizing the Cluster and became a Crystal Gem, so I DID disobey a Diamond... GAH, that's not the point! Lazuli is being rude, and I demand an apology!"

"Whoa, Peridot! You shouldn't  _demand_  an apology! Just ask her nicely!" Steven corrected her, as it was a certainly important distinction to make. In most cases, it made all the difference in the world.

"Yes, but she was rude when I was nice to her!"

"Well, why not give it another shot?" Steven suggested, "She wasn't expecting to see you here, so you kinda caught her off guard! Now that she knows you're here, that element of surprise won't be as nasty for her!"

Peridot simply gave Steven a look of disbelief.

"Are you sure it's going to work?"

"Well... does it really hurt to try?" Peridot furrowed her brow at Steven's question, but ultimately came around.

"Hmm... I suppose not. But what if she never comes back?"

"Well, we go after her!" Steven replied cheerfully as he pointed in the direction he saw his blue friend flee, "I saw her head over that way! There's a forest far over there that we visited yesterday, I bet she's in there! And if she isn't in there, she could be further ahead, like in Empire City! I sure hope she didn't fly to Jersey though..."

"Well, how are we supposed to get over there?" Peridot asked, "The Greg and the Crystal Gems took the only working vehicle back to Beach City!"

"I'll just call them!" Steven cheerfully announced. He whipped out his cellphone... only to see that it wouldn't turn on. "Oh yeah, the battery's dead." He sighed, not liking the only other option he had left. "Well, that means we're gonna have to walk!

"Wait, walk?! How far out are we walking, exactly?"

"Well uh... if we powerwalk and don't stop for any breaks, I think we'll get to where she could be in about... 4 hours? Maybe 5? And if she isn't in the forest, then that'd take a lot longer." He chuckled kind of sheepishly when Peridot blew up.

"Wha- but that'll take forever! I don't want to walk for that long!"

"Well, we're just gonna have to deal with it!" Steven shrugged.

"No, no! There has to be an easier way to go about this! How about that large pink feline that hangs around... Leon, I think he's called?"

"His name's Lion," Steven corrected, "And I'd ride him if I could... but I haven't seen him since the day before yesterday!"

"So he's lost then." Peridot sighed.

"No! He just kinda wanders off to do his own Liony thing. It's what he does!" With that being said though, Steven did wish that he knew what exactly the fluffy pink enigma of a big cat was getting up to during his solo adventures. It was something he resolved to ask him some day... if he remembered to do so. And his memory would prove to be shorter-term than he thought when he heard Peridot cry out excitedly.

"Oh! OH! Steven, there he is! He's right over there!"

Steven turned around and saw Peridot pointing over to the old silo. And as she had said, Lion was right in front of it, curled up in a ball and napping like the lazy cat he was.

"Aw, Lion!" Steven scolded playfully, "Where've you been all this time, you little goofball?!" He and Peridot ran up to the slumbering feline, who took notice of their approach and groggily rose up on all fours. He took a second to stretch and yawn heavily, and fell back into position once they reached him.

"Hey, buddy!" Steven greeted, "Do you think you could do your pals Steven and Peridot a favor? Hmm?" Lion just blankly stared at him. It was to be expected, since he _is_  a lion. "You see, we need help looking for a friend of ours. It's Lapis, you've seen her before! You know, that pretty blue Gem who took the ocean that time?" Lion seemed to understand, maybe. It was at least how Steven interpreted a subtle twitch in his left ear. "Anyway, she's feeling pretty upset, and we want to talk things out with her. She ran off to this forest that's a few hours away from here, so could you make a portal to the woods for us?" Lion didn't really seem to pay attention, he was far more interested in a grasshopper he noticed leaping to and fro nearby. "Aw, come on, Lion!" Steven moaned before realizing a surefire way to make him listen. "Well then, I guess you don't want a Lion Licker!"

Lion's response was instantaneous, in a second he had turned right around and stared up at Steven's eyes, his own being wide with his pupils having dilated considerably. Steven couldn't help but smile as his motto was proven right: when all else fails, bribe him with ice cream! Rather cheap seventh rate ice cream, but ice cream none the less. "Yeah, now we're talking! You help us find Lapis, and I'll give you two of 'em when we get back! You got that?" Lion responded by chuffing and positioning himself in front of Steven and Peridot to where they could easily hop onto his back. Steven turned and bowed playfully. "After you, ma'am!"

"Why thank you, Steven!" Peridot thanked with a tiny cackle while she climbed on board, "It's always good to see someone who knows their place when traveling with the Great and Lovable Peridot!"

"Oh, you!" The pair shared a few laughs as Steven took his place on Lion's back. Both grabbed tightly onto his puffy pink mane while Lion turned his head to where Lapis had fled. With a mighty roar, a pink light shot out of his mouth and formed a portal in front of him.

"Alright Peri, hang on tight!" Steven laughed when Lion got in a pouncing position.

"That's what I'm do-IIIIIIIIING!" She thought she was ready, but Peridot was thrown for a loop when Lion lept forward into the portal. Their end closed, leaving them in a rather shiny, glimmery sort of "dimension" that Lion sped through on his way to a far-off portal, that glowed a faint pink and seemed to grow bigger and bigger as he approached. It was a matter of seconds until...

* * *

 

Lion made his arrival outside the other end of the portal, which dropped Steven and Peridot off inside of a rather peaceful, cheery looking forest. The sunlight was only able to shine faintly down through the thick layer of trees that provided a rather neat little canopy above, and their leaf colors ranged from green to orange to yellow to red, and even purple in some cases. All around them, the duo and their big cat could hear the calls of birds and the occasional chattering of nearby squirrels. It was nice and peaceful, but something more important was on their mind.

"LAPIS!" Steve called out as he and Peridot began to wander around where they were dropped off. Lion opted to simply fall over and curl up into a big sleepy ball while they called for the wayward Gem. "HEY LAPIS! LAPIS LAZULI! IT'S STEVEN, AND I WANNA TALK TO YOU!"

"St-Steven?" Lapis' rather soft, yet shaky voice could be heard calling from a nearby tree.

"Whoa, we found her already?! Lion, awesome job! That's gonna earn you a third Lion Licker back home!" Lion began to chuff once more, quite content with this turn of events. Satisfied, Steven turned his gaze up to where he heard Lapis' voice, and saw the Gem carefully flutter down from a tree and land on the leaf-covered ground.

"Oh, Steven!" She sounded briefly pleased, but the hint of a smile on her face vanished when she saw his little green accomplice. Steven was rather taken aback, it looked like Lapis had stepped in something disgusting given the way she wrinkled her nose and narrowed her eyes. "And you."

"Lazuli," Peridot sighed, putting in all the effort that she could to make her voice as kind as possible, "Look-"

"Save it for someone who cares." Lapis growled, cutting off the meek Gem before she could even start.

"But Lazuli, I-"

"I don't want to hear it! You should head back to that barn you love so much, because you're wasting your time here."

Steven turned and was sad to see just how dejected Peridot looked. She slumped over with the look of a kicked puppy on her face, and her triangular hair was drooping downward. He glared at Lapis, who in turn was glaring daggers at Peridot. As much as he loved his aquatic-minded friend, he also loved his angry little slice of pie. And whether it was justified or not, he was not going to sit idly by while Peri was being bullied.

"Lapis, will you stop it?!"

"Wh- Steven?!" Lapis was completely caught off guard: unlike her anger for Peridot, she was staring at Steven with a look of confused hurt and bewilderment.

"Look, I know you've had a rough time! And I know Peridot's done things to hurt you, but that's no reason to be so mean to her! She's trying to be nice to you, and you're not even giving her a chance!"

"W-well why should I?!" Lapis shot back, flustered and slightly irate, "You have no idea what she did to me, Steven! She hurt me! She used me! She's not entitled to any kindness from me!"

"But Lapis, she's changed! Don't you remember our talk about change?" Steven asked, which caused Lapis to growl in frustration.

"That had nothing to do with her! The world has gone on and advanced over several thousand years! But her? She's the same Peridot who hurt me all those months ago!"

"But that's the whole point, she's  _not_  the same Gem who hurt you! She's not with Homeworld anymore, she's a Crystal Gem now!"

"Feh. And that's supposed to make me feel better because...?"

Steven groaned in frustration. It was especially infuriating considering their conversation earlier, how could she have unlearned it in such a short span of time? "Lapis, you're missing the point! She's not fighting to hurt innocent people now! She's trying to fight in the name of all the creatures that call Earth home! Doesn't that mean anything to you?"

"No." Lapis replied coldly, "It doesn't."

"Lapis, you're not being fair-"

"Fair? FAIR?!" Steven was taken aback at her sudden shouting, "You wanna know what isn't fair, Steven? Fair isn't being arrested and detained by the people who were supposed to safely welcome you home! Fair isn't being accused of being one of those stupid Crystal Gems just because you returned from the same planet they were occupying! Fair isn't being tortured for information THAT YOU DON'T EVEN HAVE IN THE FIRST PLACE!"

"Lapis, I get it! Really, I do!" Steven argued, "All sorts of terrible, awful things have happened to you, and none of them were fair! But you know what else isn't fair? Not letting someone make it up to you when they want to apologize for treating you badly! I'd understand you being mad at her after giving her another shot, but you've been blowing her off without giving her a chance! That's not fair to Peridot at all!"

Peridot, who had remained silent for the duration of Steven and Lapis' argument, nodded enthusiastically and gave Steven a knowing smile of appreciation. Lapis however gave a furious groan of irritation. "YOU JUST DON'T GET IT! You may be willing to forgive her the second she starts playing nice with you, but I'm never going to forget the kind of torture I went through under her!"

"Lapis-"

" _ **SHUT UP!**_ " Lapis screamed harshly, tugging at her hair while doing so, "Just shut your mouth, you... you IDIOT!"

It seemed the entire forest fell silent after Lapis' outburst. The squirrels and birds both had stopped making their noises, and there was no rustling of other unseen critters to be heard either. Peridot just stood there with her jaw opened wide and Lion had risen from his nap, and was also staring intently at Lapis with a hint of predatory menace in his eyes. Steven however just stood there, rooted to the spot. He felt like he had been slugged in the gut, and could feel his eyes welling up. The Gem he had been nothing but nice to and who in return loved him dearly had just brutally insulted his intelligence. He knew he wasn't the brightest bulb in the shed. He was used to completely flubbing things up. And yet, following his instincts paid off so many times! Because of that, he was able to find out what pre-Crystal Gem Peridot was up to, formed a bond with the formerly feral Centipeetle, learned about the Cluster, and even freed Lapis from the mirror! That all had to count for something, especially since you wouldn't think Lapis would be so ungrateful towards the one who saved her from a life of imprisonment!

But any feelings of hurt and anger as well as any motivation to tear into Lapis disappeared when Steven took a good look at her face.The bitter anger-fueled Gem seemed to let her own words sink in, and was mortified by them. Both hands were clenched right over her mouth, her eyes were wide with horror, and her body was trembling like crazy.

"Steven..." Lapis choked, "I'm... I'm..."

"Lapis." Steven cut in firmly. Lapis shirked back at the sound of his voice, almost expecting him to tell her off... until she felt him wrap his arms around her waist, pulling her in close for a tight hug. "It's okay. I'm not mad at you!"

While Steven hugged her, Lapis returned the favor by scooping him up in her arms and hugging him as tightly as she could, her eyes welling up a bit.

"Steven, I'm... I'm _so_ sorry!" Lapis whimpered, "I wasn't thinking, I was- I was just-"

"You were mad, Lapis." Steven stated gently, "You didn't mean it! You were just angry, sad, and confused! It's okay to feel all those things!"

"But... but I insulted you!" Lapis retorted, "What kind of person lashes out at her only friend like that?!"

"One who's been through a lot of bad stuff." Steven reassured her with a pat on the back. "Someone who's been hurt by so many people and been through a ton of pain for a super long time! Now come on, it's gonna be okay! I promise!"

Now that she knew that no love was lost between her and her little buddy, Lapis set Steven back on the leaf-covered ground. While the leaves crunched underneath his weight, Lapis noticed streams of tears on her cheeks, and quickly rubbed them off.

"Steven..." she sniffled, "I... I really am sorry. You were just trying to stick up for a friend, and... well, I just..."

"Like I said, Lapis: you just kinda snapped after being pushed around too much! You don't have to apologize to me!"

"I just wish I didn't blow up at you! You don't deserve to be treated that way!"

"Hey, I'm a tough kid! I can take a few mean words!" Steven laughed. And it was true: this wasn't his first rodeo. Far from it, actually...

"I know, I just..." Lapis sighed and glanced to the side, "Look, Steven. I don't think I'm in any shape to talk about my feelings right now. I need some time to cool off and gather my thoughts, okay?"

"Yeah, I understand!" Steven approved with a nod, "I'll lay low while you find your happy place, okay?"

"Yeah, sure." Lapis agreed weakly. "Oh, but don't worry! Once I've got everything under control, I'll come back for you! Maybe even take you on a trip while we talk things out..."

Steven's eyes went starry at the sound of that. "Oh boy, another trip! Where should we go, though?"

"How about I sort out the details myself?" Lapis chuckled slightly, "Meanwhile, you go back to that barn of yours and wait for me! I promise I'll be back for you, okay?"

Steven nodded and smiled back at her. "Got it!" He then suddenly caught himself yawning huge, and widely. It didn't really hit him until then: but he was exhausted. After all, he had spent the entire night hanging out with Lapis, and their interactions had gone on far into the morning. He could definitely use some rest back at the barn.

"Are you okay, Steven?" Lapis asked, who was concerned due to naturally not being familiar with the concept of yawning.

 _'Aw, she's back to worrying about me!'_  Steven internally gushed before reassuring his friend. "Yeah, I'm fine! I'm just tired, so I'm gonna take a nap while you stay here. Okay?"

"Alright then!" Lapis then stuck a hand on Steven's curly hair and gave it a good, affectionate ruffle. "I'll see you in a bit! You take care now, you hear?"

"Yeah, same to you!" Steven and Lapis hugged for one last time before the boy left Lapis to her own devices. While she flew back up and sat on a tree branch, he approached Lion, who had dutifully gotten to his feet while Peridot wandered back, awkwardly whistling an aimless tune.

"Gee, Lazuli sure is a mess." Peridot noted seriously, "Did she really take what happened at Homeworld that personally?"

"Like I said, she's been through a lot, Peri!" Steven said while they both climbed onto Lion's back, "Lots of bad stuff's happened to her! She just needs time to sort it all out, you know?"

"Yes... but I just wish I could make her understand that I want to make up for hurting her! I just want her to like me!" Peridot sighed mournfully, while turning a guilty eye to the ground. She was surprised however when she was grabbed from behind and hugged by an affectionate Steven.

"Aw, don't worry, Peridot! I still like you!"

"Of  _course_  you do. Who DON'T you like?" Peridot grumbled in an adorably grumpy way. She did smile and ever-so-slightly blush though, still happy that she was at least in someone's good graces. With a roar, the pair and their fluffy pink ride disappeared back into the portal to the Barn, while Lapis had some much needed alone time to herself. While things weren't perfect, they had settled down, and that was all that mattered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well folks, let's give this another shot: two years ago, I had a fun idea for a Steven Universe fic swimming around in my head that would star Lapis going on adventures in another galaxy instead of hanging around in the barn or periodically vanishing from the show while being degraded into comic relief after a ton of buildup and intrigue. But a number of things bought it's progress to a halt: dissatisfaction with Steven Universe itself bogging me down, my-then poor work ethic, a tendency to be easily distracted by other things, and me realizing that the space adventures part was super boring and no one liked it. And thus, I'm taking another shot at it and hoping to make it a lot better.
> 
> Now the first three chapters will be exactly the same as they were in my old fic, but from chapter 4 onward I'll be covering more action-packed and fun territory, and I hope you guys like it. The only thing I changed from the original chapter 1 to here is Lapis' breakdown when she insults Steven: originally, she had an emotional meltdown and had a crying fit, here, she's horrified and tears up, but keeps a better grip on herself. I plan on some... emotionally HEAVY stuff happening down the line and didn't want to blow my load in the first chapter: crying is good for evoking emotional responses from your viewers, but you don't want to overdo it unless you want to cheapen it.


	2. Clair de Lune

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lapis and Steven hang out at Empire City, and while they watch a beautiful fountain show, Lapis talks to Steven about her past trauma and desire to leave it all behind.

The sky was a beautiful mixed shade of pink and orange when Lapis finally flew back to the barn. The bird's eye view she had of the dwelling in the setting sun was great: its shadow seemed to spread all the way across the vast countryside, though it seemed to gradually get smaller the more the sun lowered behind the horizon. She touched down on the ground, looked inside the barn, and smiled when she saw that Steven was inside. He was handing Peridot some tools while the impish green Gem was busy tinkering with some kind of large spherical vehicle.

"Hey, Steven!" Lapis called out. Both Steven and Peridot turned around: the small boy's eyes went starry as he grinned widely, while Peridot grinned nervously, then frowned a little and averted her eyes to the ground in shame.

"LAPIS!" Steven cheered. He gave Peridot the tools that were in his hands and did a leaping hug at Lapis, who returned his affection by squeezing him tightly. She then set him on the ground and ruffled his hair.

"So, are you ready to go?"

"Yeah! As long it's okay with Peridot, at least."

"I can handle the maintenance on my own. So run along, enjoy your little... excursion!" Peridot replied in her nasally tone. 

"Alright, Peri! See you later!" Happy with Peridot's blessing, Steven grabbed Lapis' hand and led his friend outside, where she let him climb onto her back.

"Alright Steven!" she called up, "Do you have a good grip on me?"

"Yep! You're clear to take off, captain!" He announced in a silly, authoritative voice. Not being the type to stand on ceremony, Lapis summoned her wings, and took off for the skies in a flap. Soon, the duo were high above the ground, which resembled a large grassy carpet, with patches divided by winding highways and train tracks. "So Lapis, where are we headed off to?"

"Well..." Steven couldn't see it, but a knowing grin was on her face. "You'll see when we get there! I bet you'll like it!"

"Oh, a surprise!" Steven gasped, "Alright then, don't spoil it for me!"

Lapis responded with a giggle and continued soaring over the plains. As the evening slowly gave way to night and the pinkish sky was fading to black, Lapis remained silent. It wasn't that she didn't want to talk to him, she'd do that once they reached their destination. But it was for a variety of reasons. A part of it stemmed from lingering embarrassment from her outburst earlier that morning. Yeah, Steven was okay and didn't want her to apologize, but she couldn't help but cringe when she thought back to that moment. She didn't have to respond so... brattily towards him. But yet, she did. She threw a temper tantrum and called her best friend an idiot, something she'd never forgive herself for. And it was for that reason that she swore to never let it happen again. The last thing she needed was to alienate the one friend she had!

But another part of it was that she was still thinking about how she was going to handle her situation. She had spent hours pondering on if she should just suck it up and deal with the Crystal Gems and apparently Peridot as well, or just leave the Earth and find her fortune out in space. After all, space IS infinite, at least as far as she knew. Homeworld couldn't have set up shop on ALL the planets out there...  _'Oh, why am I being so immature?!'_ Lapis couldn't help but feel frustrated by her indecisiveness: in theory, her choice should be obvious. Shack up on Earth, explore the enormous planet, and hang out with her Beach Summer Fun Buddy!

But she just couldn't shake off the uneasiness that came with having to stay on the same planet as the Crystal Gems and Peridot, walking and talking reminders of the trauma she had suffered. What if they tried to hunt her down and hurt her again? What if Peridot was just trying to trick her into letting her guard down so they could imprison her in something else?

But just fretting over the what-ifs in her mind wouldn't do any good. After all, she spent hours in the forest doing exactly that, and aside from calming down she still hadn't gotten anywhere with her fears and uncertainties! But that was subject to change when they reached their destination...

"EMPIRE CITY!" Steven cheered, his eyes once again all stars, "Lapis, is that where we're going?" And indeed it was: the enormous city with its towering skyscrapers, busy streets, and bright lights enamored Lapis when they passed over it yesterday, so why not talk things out with her little buddy while visiting it? But yet, she couldn't help but feel tempted to mess around with Steven a bit...

"No, silly! Where'd you ever get that idea?" Lapis playfully denied, "We're going to Jersey, because when I think of a good time, I think of dirty air, awful smells, and people swearing at us!!" Unable to help herself, she and Steven broke into a mutual giggling fit.

"Aw, Lapis!" Steven scolded while Lapis continued to giggle. The laughter died down after a while, and Lapis decided to get a bit more serious.

"But yeah, Empire City's what I had in mind. Do you like the sound of that?"

"I totally do, thanks!"

The pair then fell silent for a while, and quietly marveled the beauty beneath them before Lapis chimed in. "So Steven, would you like me to land anywhere in particular?"

"Ooh, ooh! You see that huge casino over there?!" Steven pointed at an enormous ornate building that was standing across from an enormous pool of water. The pool of water seemed to be quite popular with the locals, as dozens of humans had flocked around: most were standing in a large crowd that circled the fence blocking off the water and were talking amongst each other while others were seated on packed wooden benches, also facing the water.

"Yeah! You want me to land there?"

"Well not  _there,_ but one of the buildings surrounding it, like on that restaurant over there!" Steven pointed at a rather pleasant little stone building with a green tiled roof that sloped a little, but would make for a good private vantage point all the same. And so Lapis glided over and landed on the sloped rooftop and allowed Steven to take his seat right at her side. "Oh man, looks like we came in between shows! Lapis, look at that huge pool of water and wait for a bit! You're REALLY gonna like what's about to happen!"

**(Song: Claude Debussy, Clair de Lune: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ea2WoUtbzuw)**

Lapis was about to ask what he meant, but before she could vocalize, she was caught by surprise when a beautiful, melodic tune filled the air seemingly from nowhere. "Steven, what's going on?"

"The coolest thing ever!" Steven whispered to her, "Now come on, keep watching the water!" 

Lapis turned to the pool, and was completely dazzled by what she saw. The water had been illuminated by a light from beneath, and erupting from its surface were a series of thin fountains that stood two to a pair across the water. And what followed was something that Lapis had previously thought was only possible for a Gem like her to do: the fountains started to dance. Like reeds in the wind, the fountains swayed for a few seconds before dispersing, only to reform into larger groups of fountains, starting with four to a group to six and eight, before the cycle stopped completely. What followed was even more spectacular: instead of forming groups, an incredibly long trail of fountains erupted from the left end of the lake and traveled all the way to the other side, before the very center gave way to a large ring of fountains that swayed a bit before seemingly exploding.

"Steven..." Lapis muttered in amazement, her eyes starry from the spectacular sight, "This... this is beautiful!"

"Pretty cool, right?" Steven gushed while the fountain show continued to unravel before him.

"Yeah, Homeworld never had anything like this..."

"Homeworld didn't have a lot of cool things, huh?" Steven asked sadly.

Lapis thought back and nodded. Homeworld was a place that focused entirely on practicality, at least for the most part. Sure, upper class Gem were allowed commodities such as beautiful fountains, exotic gardens filled with beauty from now-dead planets that were tended to by their Pearls, and there were even areas of leisure for lower-class Gems. But for the most part Homeworld wanted nothing to do with anything that didn't serve a practical purpose. So while there may have been fountains, they never would have been set up to allow jets of water to dance while set to soothing music.

"And you know the best part? They put on these shows  _every_ night! Dad would sometimes take me to see them when he had business in the city, and no matter how many times I see them, they're always so fun to watch!" Steven then turned to Lapis with a small smile on his face, "So just imagine living here and being able to see these awesome fountain shows every day! You'd like that, wouldn't you Lapis?"

"Yeah, I would." Lapis admitted, "They're really pretty. But... well... I'm..." she groaned and smacked herself on the forehead, "I'm still not sure what to do!"

"Not sure, huh?" Steven asked, "It's okay! It's a really big decision, so you should totally think long and hard about what you're gonna do next!"

Lapis smiled at Steven's reassurance and glanced back at the dancing fountains. "You see Steven... I really wouldn't mind staying here for your sake. You've been a good friend and helped me when no one else did, so I owe a lot to you! And it helps that Earth has a lot of beauty, such as those fountains, this city, or that forest near the barn. But if I stay on Earth... well, I'm back to being stuck on the same planet as Peridot and the Crystal Gems."

"Yeah, you had problems with them." Steven sighed before turning his gaze back to the fountains. "Lapis... what exactly happened between you and Peridot? She wouldn't really talk about it, but I can tell that it was pretty bad."

Lapis cringed a bit at Steven's question. She wasn't about to balk at answering, but just thinking about her return to Homeworld caused memories of that most unpleasant ordeal to resurface. Already she could see Peridot's expressionless face, feel the painful electricity surging through her body, hear Yellow Diamond's dismissive, cold voice...

"Lapis, you okay?" Steven asked, causing Lapis to flinch at the touch of his hand on her shoulder. "You were getting all shivery over there."

Lapis blushed a little, ashamed that she had let her bad memories completely overwhelm her even for a second. "Yeah, I'm... I'm fine." She then took a deep breath, faced Steven who was listening intently, and began. "You remember how I flew back to Homeworld?"

"Yeah."

"Well, I didn't quite fly all the way back. Not by myself at least."

"Well duh! Space is huge! You'd have taken thousands of years to fly all the way back there!" Steven answered.

"But yeah, on my way back home I was stopped by this huge probe that Homeworld had deployed. I think it's called a Roaming Eye, but apparently they use those to hunt down and detain Gems who escape from Homeworld and haul them back to be punished as enemies to the Diamonds. And unfortunately, because I was flying away from Earth, the place where Rose Quartz's rebellion happened... the Rubies piloting the Eye labeled me a traitorous Crystal Gem and hauled me off to Homeworld to be interrogated." Lapis clenched her teeth just from the mere thought of being wrongfully imprisoned once again.

"It was pretty scary when I got back home." Lapis continued, "It was so militaristic: Civilians were constantly being bombarded with Diamond Authority propaganda, huge hulking Quartz enforcers would brutalize civilians for the smallest offenses, and I even saw a Ruby get shattered in the streets for sticking her tongue out at a statue of Yellow Diamond." She sighed again and shook her head. "Homeworld's always been a tightly-run ship, Steven. But it was never this bad before Rose's rebellion. Before, you'd at least get a trial if you were accused of a crime. But me? I was hauled right off to a punishment facility, one of Yellow Diamond's. Heh, just my luck that I'd be carted off to a place ran by the cruelest Diamond..." Lapis chuckled bitterly before continuing.

"And it was horrible: word got back to Yellow Diamond that I came from Earth as a likely spy, and I was thrown into a maximum security cell where a small group of Quartz troopers and that Peridot were waiting for me, and they had that long-necked freak present through a video feed." Lapis sneered, "They situated me in this device that bound my hands and feet, and all took turns grilling me, asking for information regarding the Crystal Gems. And every time I gave an answer that Yellow Diamond didn't like, Peridot..." Lapis shivered and shuddered in fear just from the thought of her punishment, "Peridot would electrocute me on her orders. That device would give me a long-lasting jolt of electricity that shot through my body and fried my Gem to its core."

"Lapis, That's... that's so awful! I can't believe that happened to you!" Steven gasped, his eyes glimmering with tears at the thought of his friend's torture. Lapis smiled sweetly, her trauma lessened by the presence of her empathetic friend.

"I don't know how long it went on," Lapis continued, an almost distant cloudiness in her eyes, "To me it felt like the torture lasted for hours, though it probably only lasted for a few minutes... but I thought it would never end. I did everything I could: I begged to talk to the Diamond I served: Blue Diamond. I denied any kind of association with the Crystal Gems. I insisted that I was just trying to make a long-awaited trip back home! But it just wouldn't end until... until I caved." Lapis faced away from Steven and back to the fountains, her core clenching at the thought of putting Steven in danger. "I told them what Yellow Diamond wanted to hear: I lied about being a Crystal Gem, but truthfully said that there were a few holdouts from the war back on Earth. And because of that, I put you in danger."

"Hey, don't get so down on yourself, Lapis!" Steven reassured her, "We beat Peridot and Jasper, we saved you, and now Peridot's our friend! No harm done!"

"But that doesn't make it right!" Lapis protested bitterly while tightly clutching her right arm, "You were almost hauled back to Yellow Diamond, who would've done... who knows what to you!"

"Lapis, it's okay! Seriously, stop being so hard on yourself!" Steven scolded her gently while placing an arm around her shoulders, "They were really, really hurting you! I totally understand why you'd want that to stop! And besides, it's not like you let Homeworld send troops to get us without any warning, you sent that message to me! Thanks to that, we were able to prepare for Peridot and Jasper's arrival and evacuated the city! Your warning kept innocent people from being hurt!"

"Well... I guess you have a point." Lapis chuckled lightly, her friend's kind words were able to elicit another smile from her. But her smile soon transitioned into a small frown when she decided to pursue another topic. It was one that she was still embarrassed about blowing up at Steven over, but yet one that she really wanted an answer to. "Steven...?"

"Yeah?"

"Why do you trust her? Why is Peridot your friend all of a sudden? You've seen how she is: she's cold! She's ruthless! She tried to hurt you! How in the world did you become friends with someone like her?! I just don't get it!" Lapis could feel her face flush, the hurt and anger when she saw Peridot at the barn fresh in her mind. Steven however simply shrugged in response to Lapis' question.

"Well, it's like I told you: she changed! She's not the mean Gem who hurt you back then!"

"But how do you know?!" Lapis argued, "How do you know she isn't trying to butter you up so she can stab you in the back later on?! You can't just undo the sort of things she's done!"

"Because I gave her a chance!" Steven stated emphatically, "Trust me, we didn't become friends over night! When we captured her, she was pretty mean to us, and the Gems didn't trust her. But I knew that she had some important information and got her to tell us about it, and after that she started to bond with us! I got to teach her about the rain, she found a favorite TV show, Garnet taught her about fusion, all kinds of cool stuff! And thanks to her, we were able to stop the Cluster, this big geoweapon Yellow Diamond made that would have destroyed Earth if Peridot didn't tell us about it!"

"That's nice, but how does that prove anything?" Lapis asked cynically, "From the sound of things, she  _had_  to tell you about the Cluster, or else she would have died with Earth."

Steven opened his mouth in an attempt to argue, but he glanced at the ground and sighed instead. "You know, I also had doubts about her at one point. While we were getting ready to stop the Cluster, we had to get its coordinates from an old Diamond Base, where Peridot stole a communicator and used it to talk to Yellow Diamond. Man, I was so  _mad_  when she did that! I totally thought she was going to betray us!" 

Steven then flashed a knowing smile at Lapis before continuing. "But you know what happened? When she called Yellow Diamond, she actually asked her to destroy the Cluster and spare Earth! She argued with her and told her that there was stuff worth protecting here! And when Yellow Diamond kept yelling at her, she called her a clod! A  _clod_ , Lapis! Oh man, you should have seen the look on her face!"

Steven chuckled before finishing his point. "But Lapis, can't you see? She had  _the_ perfect chance to betray us and go home, but she didn't! She proved for once and for all that she's not just a Crystal Gem, but a pretty good person! Someone who grew past being mean and cold and into someone great! Like I said before, Peridot's changed since the day she hurt you! We all gave her a chance, don't you think it's fair for you to do the same?"

For a minute, Lapis couldn't say anything. She wanted to argue, to get it through Steven's head that he was too naive for his own good... but how could she? Steven presented his case well: much like everything on Earth, Peridot too had changed. No more was she a heartless drone emotionlessly following orders to torture her, but a hero who saved Steven and his planet, and burned her bridges with Homeworld in order to do so. Surely she could make peace with her and put the past behind them?

But it just wouldn't be that simple: even with this new information in mind, Lapis could feel a clenching sensation in her core and bile rise in her throat just at the thought of Peridot. She regretted her answer, but Steven had to know that things weren't going to go as smoothly as he wished. So with regret heavy in her heart, she sighed and shook her head. "Steven, I'm sorry. But... but I just can't forgive her." It pained her to see the look of sadness on Steven's face, but he had to know the truth, even if it hurt. "I wish I could, but I just can't sweep what she did to me under the rug. I can understand why you or the Gems would forgive her, but she tortured and imprisoned me! Every time I look at or think about her, I'm reminded of how painful it was to feel all that electricity surge through my body, how scary it was be be interrogated by the people who should have welcomed me back home! It's not fair that she can get away with that and act like nothing happened!

"But Lapis-"

"Steven-!" Lapis took a deep breath, determined not to explode on Steven like last time. Instead, she put a gentle hand on his shoulder and sadly looked him in the eyes. "You really are the sweetest, you know that? You're so compassionate, so forgiving, and you're willing to bury the hatchet with people who hurt you. I have no problem with you forgiving Peridot! But not everyone's going to forget the pain someone put them through, and they shouldn't be forced to be okay with it." Lapis then closed her eyes and sighed before massaging her temples. She didn't want to have to say it, but she had finally made up her mind as to what she wanted to do, though it would be hard to admit. "And because of that... I don't think I wanna stay on Earth anymore."

"You don't?" 

Lapis couldn't bear to look at him: his tone alone felt like a sudden blow to the gut. But she worked up the courage and looked anyway, and sure enough he was sulking and staring sadly at his knees.

"Look Steven, this wasn't an easy decision to make! It's just-"

"You don't have to explain. I understand." Steven interrupted, turning to face Lapis with a sad smile.

"Really?"

"Yeah! It's pretty clear that there's a lot of stuff that you won't be okay with here on Earth. And I don't wanna be mean and keep you on a planet where you're going to be forced to be around people who hurt you! You should do what makes  _you_ happy, ya know? And to be honest, it's probably for the best." Steven shrugged with a nervous chuckle, "When Peridot insulted Yellow Diamond, I'm not kidding when I said that she made her  _really_ mad. Peridot's convinced that she's gonna send some troops down to punish her, so you'd probably appreciate being able to keep from getting caught up in another fight with Homeworld."

"Oh  _boy,_ am I!" Lapis sighed, thankful for the head's up. "Trust me when I say that I've had  _enough_ of Homeworld and the Crystal Gem's stupid squabbles. But..." Lapis sighed and shook her head, having thought of a rather big issue with her ordeal. "There's just one problem, Steven. Where am I gonna go now? Space is  _huge_ , but the same goes with the Diamond Authority's sphere of influence! Five thousand years ago they already colonized tons of planets, who knows how many they control by now? Am I gonna be safe anywhere in outer space? I mean, there's no point to me leaving if Homeworld can find me again..."

"Don't worry Lapis!" Steven reassured her with a wide smile, "When I went back to the barn, I actually had a little talk with Peridot!"

"You did?"

"Yep!" Steven then turned back to the fountains before resuming the conversation, "You see, after we left the forest, I wasn't so sure if you were gonna stay. I tried to convince myself that you definitely  _were_  staying, but I accepted that it was a good idea to plan ahead in case if you said no. So Peridot and I put our heads together: if you were gonna leave, where would you go? And you know what? Peri had the perfect place in mind!"

"Really?"

"Yeah! You see, Homeworld's empire hasn't spread out that much for the last couple of thousand years. In fact," Steven pointed at a huge cluster of stars positioned near the full moon, which was resting neatly in the center of the sky, "According to her, Homeworld doesn't have  _any_ territory out there because they're really short on resources, and they can't afford to conquer planets that are that far out, especially since the civilizations there are advanced enough to fight back! She thinks that because of this, you could totally go out there and live your life, safe from any sort of Gem stuff! Does that sound cool to you?!"

"Well... yeah! I'd say so!" Lapis admitted. She could almost feel the load dissipate from her chest now that she knew about this safe place she could go to.

"And that's not all, Peridot's making it to where you don't have to fly all the way over there with your wings!" Steven added, "When you flew over to the barn to pick me up, did you notice what Peridot was tinkering with?"

"I did!" Lapis confirmed with a nod. "Wasn't she messing with this big green thing?"

"Yep, it was an escape pod from the Hand Ship! She converted it into this giant drill when we went to stop the Cluster, only now she's turning it back into a spacecraft, one that'll send you across space in the blink of an eye! Isn't that cool?"

"Yeah, it really is!" Lapis had to admit: as much as she loathed that little green wad of snot, she couldn't help but feel a bit touched that Peridot really was putting in this much effort to help her get to a safe place, far from Homeworld's reach. Though of course, it wasn't like she deserved the credit: it was Steven's idea in the first place! "Seriously Steven, thanks for helping me out!"

"No prob, Bob!" Steven thanked with a slight smile.

" _Lapis._ " She corrected with a sly smile of her own. The duo shared a few laughs before falling silent. They both resumed watching the fountains, only for the music to die down and the fountains to end much to Lapis' disappointment. "Aw, it's over already?!"

"Just wait a minute, Lapis." Steven giggled. "They're not done yet!"

**(Song: Andrea Bocelli, Con Te Partillo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wdx5nGphnAI)**

The duo watched the waters, and Lapis could feel her heart soar when she heard more beautiful music start up, albeit far different than what played earlier. For one, a human was singing, and in a language that she couldn't understand. Now as a Gem, she had the ability to translate the language into something comprehendible... and yet, she didn't want to. The voice, especially combined with the illuminated fountains, the respectfully silent humans, the breathtaking city lights, and the magnificently starry sky was absolutely beautiful. Lapis just couldn't bring herself to understand it, it almost felt like that if she could understand the singer's words, it would detract from the beauty of it all. Instead, she was content to listen let the voice serenade her as the fountains danced for the onlookers.

"Hey Lapis, they don't have singing on Homeworld, don't they?"

"In the past, yeah. But now? I  _highly_ doubt it." Lapis answered with a smirk before switching to a frown. "I just hope singing is a universal constant, because I already know that I'm gonna miss this..."

"Well hey, it's not like you're leaving now!" Steven reminded her, "Peridot's gonna take a few weeks to get the escape pod ready for space travel! So while you're waiting, how about we fly around and hang out? A few weeks of us taking on the mean streets of Empire City, Beach City, and all sorts of other cool places, seeing all there is to see! There's a lot of other cool stuff to do here on Earth, and I want you to have as much fun as you can before we say goodbye!"

"I like the sound of that!" Lapis giggled, "Though there's one last thing I want to ask: when should I take you back to the barn? After this show?"

"Hey, these shows last all night! How about we wait for the sun to come up, and then we go back to the barn? I bet dad and the Gems will understand!"

"So you go back to the barn during the day, and we head out here at night. I like the sound of that!" Lapis giggled. And for the last time that night, she and Steven fell silent, and took to watching the fountains. While she embraced the soothing music and watched the beautiful movements of the fountains, she hoped to the bottom of her heart that wherever she was going, they'd have something half as beautiful as this. If this was something exclusive to Earth, she'd be quite disappointed indeed. But it was no good to fret about the future when what mattered was the present. And when you're watching a beautiful series of fountain shows with your best friend during a beautiful moonlit night, what was there to complain about?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another day another chapter, folks. And this one was fun to write: mainly because I LOVE Steven and Lapis' Big Sister/Little Brother relationship and could spend the rest of my life writing about them just chilling and hanging out. But also, I LOVE nighttime cityscapes. Like, holy crap: when it comes to backdrops and scenarios I can never get enough of a beautifully lit, bustling city brimming with nighttime life. And the Empire City segment of Same Old World as well as the entirety of Mr. Greg were highlights from the show specifically for that reason. So why not write about it? Fun fact: the fountain show Steven and Lapis watched was based off of the Bellagio Fountains in Las Vegas, Nevada: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l46xNxjVevU They have these beautiful fountain shows just about every night and set the dancing fountains to music ranging from the classical/opera pieces I linked to as well as stuff like Michael Jackson and the Beatles. And since Empire City is an analogue of NYC, Vegas, and a bit of Paris, why not include a Steven Universe equivalent to said fountains?
> 
> But anyway, I didn't change much, if anything from the original version of this chapter aside from a few grammatical hiccups. And uh... just in case I look like I'm really crapping on Peridot by the whole "She oversaw a torture session" thing? Don't worry: while I didn't like how she was written post-Gem Drill, I still love Peri to pieces and didn't want to demonize her. More than anything I wanted to emphasize how emotionless and okay she was with horrible things back when she first fought the Crystal Gems, and wanted to show that she's come a long way since befriending Steven. A big recurring theme in this story is gonna be that a lot of people have done some bad things, but the possibility of redemption is never out of your reach unless you intentionally push it away. And since I whole-heartedly believe Lapis did some terrible things herself (hurting Steven when he tried to help her, keeping Jasper trapped in Malachite to vent off steam), I'm in no way holding her above such a lesson...


	3. Fly Away, Bluebird

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lapis finally leaves Earth, where all kinds of crazy adventures in an unknown part of the galaxy await her.

_"Time flies when you're having fun."_ That was a proverb Lapis was familiar with, though not exactly one that she thought about too much. After all, Lapis wasn't exactly the kind of person who regularly got to have fun since she was trapped either in a mirror or under the sea for most of her life. Not to say that pre-Homeworld life was unfun per se, yet at the same time it's really hard to have fun when all you really did was whatever your kind was specifically created to do, and maybe lounge around with other Gems among Blue Diamond's court every now and then.

But now that she had the freedom to spend the last few nights with Steven, happily taking in the beauty of Empire City or just hanging around Beach City together? She was completely taken aback by just how  _true_ that saying was. All the nights they spent watching the fountains, visiting museums and concert halls, or riding the rides at Funland went by so quickly that the sun would come up before she knew it... until she found herself flying to the barn one last time.

The sun was slowly rising, bringing the countryside to life while Steven and Lapis soared above the clouds, showing that a new day was dawning... for Earth,  _and_ Lapis Lazuli. Today, she'd be making her long awaited departure from Earth, this time  _for_   _good,_ and she'd be free to find peace away from the planet. Away from all the strife, all the pain, all the drama that had ruined her life...

"Well Steven, looks like we're here." Lapis announced when the barn came into view, with the escape pod resting on the grass neatly in front of the door. "I just can't believe it's that time already..."

"Yeah, the last two weeks went by  _fast_." Steven remarked sadly while Lapis made her descent. When she touched down on the ground, he smiled a bit and added, "But we had fun, and that's what matters!"

"Well, yeah. But..." Lapis sighed while she let Steven down, "I kinda wish I got to stay on Earth for just one more day. Are you sure that we can't spend any more time together?"

"One more day? But Lazuli, I was under the impression that you wanted to leave Earth as soon as you could!" Lapis balled her right hand into a fist on instinct while Peridot strolled out from behind the pod, a smug grin on her face while she approached the duo. "With as soon as you could meaning as soon as I finished repurposing the escape pod! And _voila_ : it's ready to go!" Peridot typed on a security panel installed on the pod, and gave a bow as the pod's glass cockpit slid open, revealing a rather nice, plush seat surrounded by blinking monitors and a rather large control panel.

"Huh. Doesn't look that different from back when it was the drill!" Steven noted while Peridot wagged a scolding finger.

 

"To an untrained eye, it  _would_ appear that way." Peridot admitted, "But most of the repurposing I did had to deal with was the escape pod's inner workings. I had to make it capable of flight once more but with the controls I installed for drilling, make it capable of breaking orbit, making sure it can travel at light speed... And of course, that in turn made me have to take several trips to scavenge the parts I needed: a few to the Moon Base, a few to some old Gem ships here on earth, and then came the test flights... but at last, the fruits of my hard work have ripened! What do you think, Lazuli?!"

Lapis gave a rather large yawn of boredom, and smirked at Peridot's resulting frown before shrugging. "It's fine, I guess. So how am I going to fly this thing, anyway?"

"Well, it's pretty simple!" Peridot climbed into the pod and scooted over to the right side of the seat, and patted the left with a silly little grin on her face. "Hey Lazuli, you want to climb in? I can't show you everything when you're out there, you know!"

Lapis gave a heavy sigh and buried her face in her palm. As loath as she was to admit it, she'd  _have_ to climb in next to Peridot if she wanted a complete understanding on how the pod worked. "Alright, fine. Just give me a second." She left Steven behind and climbed into the pod, sitting right next to Peridot who began to grin widely at her presence.

"Alright Lazuli, listen up! If you want to put this thing in motion, first you flip that little switch over there!" Lapis glanced at the control panel, which was mainly occupied by a large screen displaying a picture of the Earth. To the right of that was a little switch that from the look of things had already been flipped. "Of course, you don't need to flip it now, but that's how you activate and deactivate the pod!"

Peridot then turned to a large button and pressed it. Upon doing so, the pod's glass cockpit slid shut, and suddenly the pod began to raise into the sky only to lower back down with another press of the button. "Now, movement of the pod  _can_ be done manually, but by default there's an autopilot feature installed that can take you to your destination via inputs down here!" Peridot pressed one of the many buttons underneath the image of the Earth, which caused it to rapidly zoom out until Lapis could see nothing but tons upon tons of stars.

"Huh. So that's a star map of some kind?" Lapis asked, to which Peridot nodded.

"Exactly! There are far more that aren't recorded, but this has the location of over two billion stars posted on it! Including the stars making up the system that ought to keep you safe and sound from Homeworld: the Nova Veluti System!" Peridot pointed to a small grouping of stars far to the screen's eastmost side. "TA-DA! What you're looking at is territory Homeworld can't get its hands on!"

"Oh yeah, Steven mentioned that." Lapis noted, thinking back to their discussion that night a while back, "Apparently they're going through some kind of resource shortage and that's why they can't colonize planets that far out. That, and apparently the locals can actually fight back."

"That's right, Lazuli!" Peridot chuckled. "Homeworld tried to conquer it around three hundred years ago, but lost after five years of fighting resulted in too many Gems being shattered and countless costly resources being wasted! It was declared to not be worth the losses, so they withdrew their forces. And because of that, it's a fairly popular destination for Gems that rebel against Homeworld!" 

"But anyway," Peridot continued, switching her focus to the ship, "Just one last thing you should know is that while you're backed up by an autopilot system, it's always nice to know how to manually fly the ship in the event that the autopilot fails for whatever reason! Or if you have to dodge an obstacle like an asteroid on short notice! And of course, there's always the worst case scenario of you getting attacked by a hostile ship. You see, to control the ship manually-"

"Look, can you just give me the short version and let me leave already?!" Lapis snapped, absolutely hellbent on leaving the planet as fast as she could, as well as spending the least amount of time necessary with the little green gremlin. Peridot frowned a little at her sudden declaration, but took a deep breath and began rapidly pointing all over the pod.

"You see that pedal on the floor? You step on that, and you assume manual control of the pod while also moving forward. You see that control wheel? You turn that to make the pod go left or right. You see those levers? Pulling one helps the pod ascend, the other makes it descend. You see that controller over there? You use that to control the ship's blast cannon. And if you want to get inside of the pod, the security code is 5271. Any questions?"

"Nope. I'm good." Lapis sneered mockingly before glancing outside the cockpit and frowning, "Now let me out of here. I want to say my last goodbyes before leaving."

Without a word, Peridot landed the pod and opened the cockpit. But while Lapis stood, she grabbed onto the blue Gem's arm before she could step out and talk to Steven.

"Lazuli, wait!" Peridot squealed while the other Gem snarled in annoyance.

"Would it kill you to just _leave me alone?!_ "

"Lazuli please, just hear me out, and you can go! I promise!" Peridot begged. Lapis was tempted to just throw her out of the pod, but decided to hear her out... for this one thing only.

"Fine. But make it snappy." she growled, much to Peridot's pleasure.

"Well... Lazuli, I'm... I'm sorry." Peridot apologized meekly, her head sinking to the ground. "I'm really, really sorry for the bad things I did to you. For interrogating you, torturing you, dragging you back here... I just wish I could make up for it, but this escape pod's the best I've got. You don't have to accept my apology, I just... I just want to make things right the best way I can, you know? So uh..." Peridot then began to twiddle her thumbs a bit and blushed before continuing, "You have a safe trip out there, okay?"

Lapis breathed harshly out her nose and came dangerously close to crushing her temples with her fingers. She was apologizing now? After all the stuff she put her through, after having the gall to act like she had done nothing wrong to her when they ran into each other weeks ago? As far Lapis was concerned, it was too little, too late. Oh no, she had a few choice words for her...

Or at least, she did until she looked back outside the pod, and saw Steven waiting patiently for her and within earshot of the pair. His smile gentle and eyes brimming with youthful energy... she could already tell that having to leave a friend behind was causing him emotional turmoil. Did she really have to add to it by being rude to Peridot? So for Steven's sake, Lapis took a deep breath and forced a smile on her face.

"Thanks, Peridot. I forgive you." Lapis thanked coldly. Her insincerity was lost on the Gem, as she perked back up with her eyes starry and wide, and with dumbfounded look plastered on her face. "Now go away."

"Y-y-yes! Thank you, Lazuli!" Peridot jumped out of the pod and walked away, and under her breath Lapis could hear her chuckle madly to herself. _"NyahahahahahaHA! Yes! YES! She accepted my apology! Lazuli likes me now!"_

_'Pfft, don't flatter yourself.'_ Lapis scoffed internally as she joined the smaller Gem and left the pod. She then approached Steven, and no longer had to force the smile on her face.

"Hey Lapis!" Steven greeted her, the ever-so smallest hint of sadness in his voice, "So I take it you're gonna leave now?"

"Well, yeah." Lapis confirmed, "The pod's ready, Peridot gave me the lowdown on how the controls work... no use standing on ceremony, eh?" She chuckled, unable to hide the small twinge of regret in her own voice.

"Yeah, you've got a point." Steven admitted sadly, "But man, I'm really gonna miss you!"

"I'm going to miss you too, Steven." While she literally didn't have a heart, Lapis could feel a clenching pain in her chest all the same. "All the fun we had, all the things we saw... it's not going to be the same without you."

"Well, look at it this way: even if I'm not gonna be there, you'll still have plenty of fun adventures in space! I mean, just imagine all the crazy stuff you'll see! Maybe you'll fight giant chameleon monkeys! Ooh, or visit planets that have purple rainstorms! Ooh, ooh, or maybe you'll see some space whales! Oh man, what about-"

"I get it, Steven: space is a crazy place!" Lapis chuckled warmly before turning to the sky. "But I have to admit, it's also... kinda nerve-wracking. I mean, there's so much stuff out there I'm not familiar with! You think I'll find a safe place out there, or... people who will like me?"

"Aw Lapis, of course you will! You're really nice, really pretty, and you have super cool water powers! The people out there are gonna love you!" Steven gushed, which elicited another chuckle from Lapis. 

"Oh, you're too kind, Steven!" Lapis giggled, though she could feel her insides bubbling up with guilt. Considering that she was abandoning Steven, nice was pretty much the last thing he should be calling her...

"Hey, before you go?" Steven interjected, pulling her out of the quagmire of self-doubt that was slowly consuming her, "I've got a real cool going-away present to give you! Just hang on a second, okay?"

Steven ran over to a workbench near the barn that had four items resting on it, and scooped them all up. He then made it back to Lapis and tossed one of the items, a strange mostly circular object with the word "SUMY" engraved on it, into her arms.

"Oh! Well... thank you, I guess?" Lapis thanked reluctantly, not exactly sure what the boy gave her.

"You don't know what I gave you, huh?" Steven asked, having caught on pretty quickly. "Well, you know how we had so much fun taking in the music of Empire City?"

"Yeah! How could I forget that?" Lapis sighed, the beautiful melodies from fountain shows, live concerts and the like still fresh in her mind.

"You see, I thought a great going away present would be my old SUMY CD Player! It's a little device that'll play music for you if you put in a CD! Just look!" Steven reached over to the CD Player and pressed a button, which opened it up and revealed a disc of some kind. "This is a CD I had my dad burn for you! It plays a whole bunch of different songs if you press that button over there," Steven pointed at a thick square button with a triangle shape engraved on it, then pointed to a floppy black notebook looking object of some kind "And there are a couple of other CD's in this holder over here! Most of them are old songs dad and I like, but one of them?" Steven blushed and smiled sweetly. "It's a special album dad and I performed for you. I hope you'll like it!"

"Well that sounds really neat, Steven! Thank you!" Lapis giggled and ruffled Steven's curly locks before frowning and pointing at the last object in the boy's hand: a plastic baggie full of odd metallic cylinders, "But what's in that bag you've got there?"

"Oh, more batteries! If the CD player stops working, just pop in a new pair and it'll keep on chugging along! They're basically CD Player fuel!"

"Alright, thanks for the heads up!" Lapis giggled, "So, you have anything else to give me before I go?"

"Nah, that's about it... except for a big goodbye hug! C'mere, you!"

Steven tackled Lapis with a firm, warm hug, and Lapis giggled with girlish glee as she sweeped him up and returned the favor. And since this was likely going to be the last time she'd ever get to do this, Lapis made sure it was the strongest, most loving hug she was capable of. She eventually set Steven on the ground with a pat on his back, and wiped a tear from her eye as she smiled sweetly at him one final time.

"I'm going to miss you so much, Steven. You take care of yourself, alright?"

"I will, don't worry!" Steven laughed, "Just make sure you remember to do the same!"

"Heh, I'll try my best..."

With her shiny new CD player in tow, Lapis climbed into the pod-turned-ship and got comfy. Remembering Peridot's lesson, she pressed all the buttons necessary to get the pod into the air, selected the Nova Veluti system on the star map, and smashed her hand down on the liftoff button. The effect was instantaneous: the cockpit slammed shut, and through it Lapis could see Steven waving goodbye to her. The escape pod vibrated violently as it rose into the air, causing Lapis to be shaken like crazy while more and more energy gathered around the top of the escape pod, until...

*BOOM!*

With a powerful explosion, the escape pod was propelled straight into the air at a breakneck pace while surrounded by a neon green aura. The countryside Lapis could see through the cockpit seemed to grow smaller and smaller and smaller still... until she broke through the atmosphere, and soon all she could see was a huge blue planet, the lush green and sandy brown continents below looking nothing like the countryside she had been at almost a minute ago. She couldn't see him anymore, but Lapis just knew that Steven was still standing where he was, waving enthusiastically as he saw off his friend for one last time.

_'Thanks for the memories, Steven. I'll never forget you...'_

* * *

"See ya, Lapis." Steven quietly said to himself as Lapis' pod shot off past his line of sight. He could feel his eyes slightly well up, but the smile on his face when he looked up at the sky was genuine. While he was already missing his blue friend, at the same time he was happy for her. Now that she had left Earth for good, she'd be free from all the bad things that happened to her! Free to blast off into space, and boldly go where no man has gone before! In fact, he was already hoping that she'd be back soon, if only to hear all about the cool stuff she'd see out among the cosmos...

"STEVEN! GET OVER HERE, HURRY!"

Peridot's screechy, nasally call for help caused the boy to jump about a foot in the air before he gathered his bearings.

"I'm coming, hold on!" Steven ran over to the barn, where Peridot had wandered over to after waving goodbye to Lapis. He wasn't sure what got her so riled up, but she was standing in front of a workbench, sweating profusely. "Hey Peridot, I'm here! Is something wrong?"

" _Wrong?_ You don't even know the half of it, Steven Quartz!" Peridot sputtered while Steven made it to her side. He could see that her already light green face had grown several shades paler, and she was tightly grasping several long light green rods in her hands."I... I've made a terrible, horrible mistake..."

"Like what, Peri?"

"You see these, Steven?" Peridot asked Steven as she showed him the green rods in her hands.

"Yeah! What are those?"

"They're fuel rods, Steven. Rods of solidified plasma that Homeworld has used as fuel for ships for the longest time. And that includes escape pods, too. Like Lazuli's."

Steven cocked an eyebrow, not really sure where Peridot was going with this. "Uh, OK? I'm not really sure what you're trying to tell me, Peridot."

"I went through the trouble to grab a few from the Moon Base, knowing that the hyperspace jump needed to reach Nova Veluti would burn through her fuel in minutes... AND COMPLETELY FORGOT TO GIVE THEM TO HER! I'M SUCH A STUPID, STUPID CLOD!" After her cry of fury, Peridot devolved into a bunch of incoherent gibberish as she fell on her back and tossed the rods in the air before thrashing her limbs around.

"Oh!" It had finally sunk in for Steven, who then turned his face back up to the morning sky, only for his pupils to dilate when he let the ramifications sink in. "...oh."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ha, turns out that this chapter went under a lot more renovations than I thought it needed: it was quite a bit clunkier and uneven when I first wrote it two years back, and now I think I've edited it to where the events such as Peridot showing Lapis how to fly her new ship, Peridot apologizing to an uninterested Lapis, and Steven and Lapis saying their final goodbyes flow better into each other.
> 
> Not much else to say other than from here on out, the story REALLY begins: this was pretty much something of a longish prologue. I promise, next chapter and all those to follow will be a lot more fun and action-packed...


	4. A Minor Incident in the Barroom

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lapis walks into a bar...
> 
> ...and there's no joke. Unless you find accidental bar fights funny.
> 
> (Part 1 of the Dizmol Arc)

_'If I had a dollar bill for every time I've been wrong,'_

_'I'd be a self-made millionaire and you'd still be gone,'  
_

_'So hand me down my best dress shoes and my best dress shirt,'_

_'Cause I'm going out in style to cover the hurt...'_

While the melancholy music rang out through Lapis' headphones, the Gem stared listlessly down at the escape pod's control panel. All through her core, this nasty feeling bubbled up deep inside of her: a feeling of regret. Regret for selfishly leaving her only friend behind on Earth. Regret for stealing his planet's ocean and attacking him when he was only trying to help. Regret for fusing with Jasper when she knew full and well she could fling her into the sea and be done with it...

 _'So this is it, huh? After all the crap I put myself through, after all the terrible things I've done, Steven wants me to stay on Earth with him... and my idea of saying thanks is leaving him behind forever. Some friend I am.'_ Lapis clutched her head with both hands and gripped on her temples while sighing.  _'No matter how many chances I'm given, I'm just always gonna screw things up, huh? Malachite, the barn... I'm a real piece of work, aren't I?'_

But while nothing was stopping Lapis from taking control of the pod's autopilot and veering back towards Earth, she just couldn't bring herself to do it. Waiting back at Earth were all the things she hated: the Crystal Gems, Peridot, Jasper, the threat of Homeworld returning... as much as she hated herself for her selfishness, she was set in her ways.  _'No sense in whining: I made my bed, didn't I? I suppose I ought to lie down in it and try not to be a bigger piece of garbage than I already am.''_

Hoping to escape from the depressing song she had selected, Lapis hit the skip button on the CD Player, which immediately switched from the initial somber tune to something with a far more lively, bouncier, all-around happier sound to it with exciting brassy instruments providing the melody.

 _'Heh, I kinda like this one.'_ Lapis thought to herself, a small smile forming on her face as the heavy, iron-clad burden on her heart slightly dispelled, if only temporarily. While the singer explored the concept of selling out in the most upbeat manner possible, Lapis leaned back in her chair and propped her feet up on the control panel. She shut her eyes, and sighed as she listened to it. Eventually, her foot began to tap the cockpit's glass in tune to the beat, almost on instinct.

 _'You know, Steven: as awful as I've been to you, maybe I can do my part in making up for it by enjoying your gift to the fullest.'_ Lapis thought to herself as she began bobbing her head along to the rythym,  _'I'm two "Seedees" in, and with plenty more to listen to! I've got to admit, you humans really know what you're doing when it comes to music.'_ Lapis thought to herself. She then crossed her arms over her chest and began to smile wider.  _'You know, maybe I ought to stop being so down on myself. I'm on a fast track to a new life, and it probably shouldn't take too much longer to reach my destination at this rate...'_

And it was in that moment, that Lapis learned the dangers of jinxing oneself: almost instantaneously, an ear-splitting alarm rang through the ship and overrode the volume of her music. "What the-?!" Lapis gasped as she was caught off guard, her flinching causing her to bang her head on the pod's ceiling and her headphones to fall off her head and clatter onto the floor. As she rubbed her slightly aching head, Lapis looked at the control panel: the screen had turned a bright red color while showing the picture of a near-empty container and a warning message underneath it.

"Fuel capacity at... 5%?" Lapis read aloud as she could feel the ship gradually slow down to a crawl, "Refuel now to resume hyperspace travel..."  _'Well... I suppose there could be some fuel laying around here, right? I mean, I'm pretty sure that Peridot would have the common sense to leave me some for my journey...'_

Lapis bent over and studied the floor in hopes of finding anything that resembled a container of fuel. Cursing herself for being 5000 years behind in regards to knowing about Gemkind's technological advances, Lapis started to shift around in her seat to see if there could be some sort of weird compartment where Peridot could have left any fuel... but the only extra compartment Lapis could find was one that had the same symbol as the warning screen did, and a quick opening of the lid revealed that it was merely the fuel tank. Inside was a small sea-green lump at the bottom, which was gradually melting away.

"Oh come on!" Lapis snarled as she began studying the control panel, wondering if there could be any sign of a potential fuel cache that she missed, "Don't tell me that Peridot forgot to leave me fuel! There's  _got_ to be some left!"

Thirty seconds of frantic scavenging confirmed Lapis' fears, and things just went from bad to worse from there: one by one, the lights in the escape pod shut off while the roaring of the pod's engines quieted and the vehicle creeped to a stop. Soon, only the control panel's main screen was left glowing as it showed the last message Lapis wanted to see: "Fuel levels at 0%. Initiating shutdown protocol. Please refuel at the nearest opportunity." The screen then blinked off, leaving Lapis sitting completely alone in the dark, staring dumbfoundedly at the blank screen. 

And for a few minutes, Lapis sat in the darkness of the pod, not really sure how to react to this new development. A part of her wanted to scream, a part of her wanted to punch a hole through the escape pod's map screen, while yet another part of her wanted to fly back down to Earth and teach Peridot a lesson for her incompetence... but once Lapis finally reacted, she couldn't bring herself to be angry. All she could manage was slumping back into her seat and groaning loudly while smacking a palm to her face.

As much as Lapis wanted to shift the blame onto her, there was no use being angry with Peridot for this screwup: this one was on her. Peri did all she could to make sure she had a safe trip through outer space: she went through the trouble of re-outfitting an escape pod with state of the art technology and made sure to give her an in-depth look at how to operate it... but Lapis simply didn't care at the time. She flippantly forced her to speed her way through it, and thanks to her impatience and spiteful, rude behavior, she likely prevented Peridot from realizing that she had to leave her enough fuel to make a complete journey to the Nova Veluti System. And look where it led her: she was drifting through space in a dead vehicle, all because she couldn't resist acting spiteful towards someone who wanted to help her.

 _'Well, looks like I get to add another screwup to the tally. God, I'm an idiot...'_ Lapis thought bleakly to herself. But as tempting as it was to wallow in her own self-pity, it wasn't like Lapis was helpless. She could easily fly to Nova Veluti with the wings on her back thanks to not needing to breathe in the cold vacuum of space. Sure, it would take an  _incredibly_ long time, but it wasn't like sitting around and grumbling to herself would make it go by any faster.

So with a heavy heart, Lapis pushed open the cockpit and stepped out into the vast void that was outer space, allowing Steven's CD player and it's accessories to drift out with her. She sprouted her wings and flapped them in order to stay in place as she scoped out her surroundings. As to be expected, it was  _gorgeous_ : trillions of stars twinkled around Lapis, and brilliantly colored, cloud-like nebulae added a much-needed splash of color to the deep blackness. Asteroids of various shapes and sizes drifted all around her, and Lapis could see the tell-tale tail of a dazzling comet whizzing past far across the horizon. Having always been fond of star-gazing, Lapis couldn't help but simply watch and marvel in awe at the world around her until the sight of the CD Player drifting off eastward bought her back down to Earth.

"WHOA!" Lapis exclaimed in surprise as she flew over and tucked the player and it's related items against her chest, "Oh geez," she sighed in relief as she grabbed the CD carrier, batteries, and headphones as well, "If I lost Steven's gift, I swear I'd... huh?"

In her bid to prevent her music from drifting away, Lapis took notice of something that had evaded her sight until now: off in the distance she could see a curious metal structure drifting about in place. It was a polished, sleek and shiny chrome building with six pointed edges: the top, bottom, and four spires that stretched towards all four cardinal directions, and over near the base of the building was a large neon blue forcefield that appeared to lead to a hangar of sorts, given the enormous shapes that seemed like ships inside.

"Well aren't I lucky?" Lapis mused aloud, "When my ship runs out of fuel it does so near some sort of interstellar outpost, and it doesn't look like anything Homeworld would build. Wonder if any of the locals have some fuel they can spare..."

And so, Lapis placed the CD Player and its accompanying accessories back inside of the escape pod, flew behind it, and was able to push the ship along to the outpost at a decent speed thanks to the lack of gravity. As Lapis drew closer, she noticed the presence of some spherical drone-like machines that were lazily drifting around the outpost. When they took notice of her, a single drone approached then flashed Lapis and her ship with a neon blue laser light. Before Lapis had time to parse what was going on, it's ocular lens flashed green and the drone did a few cheerful loop de loops before the other drones in the area turned and flashed their lights at the forcefield, turning it green before they flew off. Lapis frowned and furrowed her brow before shrugging.

_'Eh, looks like they were checking to see if I was a threat. Guess I'm in the clear!'_

Lapis pushed the ship over to the forcefield, and found that she and the ship were able to pass through the green field of energy with little resistance. But the second she entered the hangar, her ship crashed to the ground with an ugly-sounding *CLANG!* which served as a reminder that gravity worked exactly the same here as it did on Homeworld or Earth. Taking note of how the other ships in the hangar were all neatly settled alongside the walls in designated parking spots, she felt a bit awkward that her ship was just sitting right smack dab in the middle of the exit, but what could she do? The ship was out of fuel, and it wasn't like she could effortlessly hoist it over her head or whatever. So with another shrug, she just let it sit there and walked over to the far end of the hangar, uncaring of the fact that several drones had entered the hangar and began beeping angrily at the sight of her haphazard parking, their optics flashing red...

_'Heh. If anyone's got a problem, they can deal with it. I'm just gonna ask around for some more fuel, and if someone thinks my ship's going to get in the way... well, that might be the push for them to give me exactly what I need.'_

Lapis reached the end of the hangar which led to a pair of steel double doors leading... somewhere. Lapis couldn't make out the odd alien chicken-scratch written on the sign above the door, but soon, the innate Gem ability to decipher most languages kicked in and it all made sense to her: "South Star Rest Stop". Lapis didn't expect much of a hassle from a rest stop, so when the doors parted upon her approach, she confidently walked inside... and wasn't quite prepared for the atmosphere that awaited her.

The first thing Lapis noticed upon walking inside was the fact that when she entered, it seemed... oddly seedy, despite being advertised as a place for relaxation. The "rest stop" was dimly lit, and swanky old-timey rock'n roll music (Or at least the alien equivalent) was playing from a neon-colored speaker that a few patrons were hanging around and bobbing their heads in time to the beat. And speaking of the patrons, Lapis knew she was going to run into some weird looking people... but she didn't expect to be outright overwhelmed by weirdness from the get-go.

The bar was a menagerie of bizarre alien species: the people hanging around the music player looked almost human, but had vaguely pale yellowish skin, wide eyes that never seemed to blink, blond tufts of hair on top of vaguely pear-shaped heads, and no ears whatsoever. Seated at a table yakking among one another in odd harsh accents similar to the people who lived in Jersey were a few pale white goblin-looking aliens who were short in stature and had weirdly long limbs, pointy ears, no noses, and bulbous yellow eyes with thin slits for pupils. A buxom, thickly built draconic alien with long horns and scaly indigo skin was serving a plate of fried food and mugs filled with frothing purple liquid to a bunch of mole-like aliens, who gawked at her under their triangular shades due to being captivated by the way her skimpy ensemble of short shorts and a tied shirt flattered her figure. At a different table another runty goblin alien had two beautiful looking, vividly colored bird women in skimpy outfits similar to the dragon woman on each arm, and was drunkenly telling the pair tall tales while they each took turns slipping gold coins out of his pockets and into theirs.

If she were permitted, Lapis could have spent all day gawking at all the bizarre aliens hanging around, but she knew that she had to get down to business. She confidently walked past a yellow, slippery-looking star shaped alien who was sleeping curled up on the floor, as well as a duo of beaked reptilian aliens with head fins shaped like mohawks who were leering at her, and reached the bar. And said bar was packed with aliens either quietly sipping drinks, eating food, or sitting with their heads down on the countertop. They all looked like they weren't in the mood to be bothered, but honestly? Lapis didn't really care at the moment.

"Uh... hey. I kinda need some help."

The sleeping patrons remained deep in their slumber, but the ones who had yet to pass out all turned and glared at her. All these angry stares, whether they be a pair of bulbous goblin eyes, one giant eye from a lumpy little mushroom monster, or nine black eyes belonging to what looked like an orange blob of sentient protoplasm, all made Lapis go from confident and uncaring to awkward and annoyed in a hurry. For a few tense seconds Lapis frowned as the row of bargoers stared her down, but before she could angrily ask what in the world they were staring at, a booming feminine voice broke the silence.

"Need help, huh?" the voice's owner announced as she took her place behind the bar, "So what do ya need, miss: food? Drink? A nice warm be-"

The speaker stopped short and looked absolutely shocked when she found herself face to face with Lapis. And Lapis couldn't help but react similarly, because she was looking right at a Gem! A Bismuth for that matter: easily identified by her bulky, muscular physique, rainbow dreadlocks tied back in a ponytail, and prismatic rainbow Gem embedded in one of her biceps. This Bismuth had lilac-colored skin and dressed in a pink-and-black apron and pants ensemble with a stylistic piece of meat emblazoned on the front: an oddly appropriate look for a Homeworld defector turned bartender. While running into other Gems wasn't out of the question due to Peridot bringing them up while talking about Nova Veluti, Lapis had to admit: she didn't expect it to happen  _this_ soon.

"Well I'll be... now what in the world is a Lapis Lazuli doin' all the way out here?" Before Lapis could answer, the Bismuth snorted and rose a hand dismissively. "Nah, save it. I bet I already know the answer: ya got bored of your cushy upper-crust lifestyle and wanted to do something bold, somethin' daring! Ya ran away from Homeworld, but realized that you're stuck in unfamiliar territory, all alone except for the weirdo meatbags who aren't willing to drop everything and throw themselves at your feet. I'm right, aren't I?"

"Well, uh... technically?" Lapis answered, completely thrown off balance by this Gem's rudeness.

"Heh, read ya like a book." The Bismuth scoffed, "Well then, from one Gem to another, welcome to Nova Veluti: your home away from Homeworld! Don't mind all the meatbags milling around out here, you'll get used to 'em. Honestly, they're better company than all the upper crust snobs back at Homeworld... but anyway, let's cut to the chase: you said ya needed help, right?"

"Uh, yeah. I did." Lapis responded dryly, and was met with a sarcastic chuckle that was practically dripping with venom from the bartending Bismuth.

"Well miss, if it doesn't pertain to food, drink, or board, I dunno if I'll be much help. But hey, tell me what ya need: I suppose I could use a good chuckle."

"Don't worry, it's nothing too big." Lapis answered bitterly, "I just need some fuel for my ship: I ran out on the way here and need some more if I want to reach the nearest planet."

"More fuel..." the Bismuth pressed a finger to her chin and looked up at the ceiling, pretending to be lost in thought. "Now  _that_ is something I can actually help ya with! Heh, lucky for you, I keep quite a few fuel canisters around these parts."

For once, this Bismuth's words sounded genuine as opposed to insincere or rude, and that was more than enough for Lapis to drop her own surly attitude for a brief moment. "Oh! Well uh... thanks!"

"No prob!" the Bismuth replied jovially, "Now all I need is around, eh, twenty two credits or so, and you should have enough fuel to at least make it to Dizmol!"

"Wha- credits? What are you talking about?" Lapis asked, her confusion bringing a mean, smug little smile to the Bismuth's lips.

"Money, _sweetheart_. It's the Nova Veluti system's official currency, valid on all nineteen inhabited planets and a hundred and forty seven moons!" the Bismuth cocked an eyebrow at the frowning Lapis and giggled. "Oh, hold up a second: you're confused, aren't ya? Well I can't blame ya: money wasn't really a thing on Homeworld, and upper crusters like you just got whatever you wanted handed to ya on a silver platter. So let me give ya the rundown, currency is-"

"I know what money is! I just... don't have any..." Lapis snarled sheepishly, balling a hand into a fist. Indeed: Homeworld didn't have a currency system, and high class Gems like her got gifts such as Pearls or fancy furnishings either as rewards from their Diamond or from bartering and trading with one another. With that being said, she learned what money was through Steven and did not appreciate being talked down to in such a manner. But before she could give her a piece of her mind, the Bismuth cut her off.

"Oh, really? Coulda fooled me, what with you just barging in and demanding free fuel and all. I guess it's hard to shake off those upper crust values of yours, eh  _princess?_ " The bulkier Gem then grabbed an enormous flagon and began polishing it with a clean washrag. "Well I  _hate_ to say it, but if ya don't have cash, then you're not gonna get far in Nova Veluti, especially with me."

"Oh come on!" Lapis threw her arms up in the air in exasperation, "Can't you spare just a  _little_ fuel? I'm new to this part of the galaxy, how am I supposed to have any money?!"

"Missed the part where that's my problem." the Bismuth sneered, grinning smugly up at Lapis from the flagon she was polishing. And now completely fed up with the bartender's attitude, Lapis slammed a fist onto the counter, causing all the (non-slumbering) patrons at the bar to flinch and gasp.

"Alright, you know what?! I'm  _sick_ of your attitude, Bismuth." Lapis snarled, pointing a blue finger at the Gem's muscular chest, "I haven't done  _anything_ wrong to you, but the minute we met you've been treating me like crap! What is your  _problem?!_ "

"Problem? Honey, I don't have a problem. It's just after spending what, seven thousand years of my life doin' thankless construction jobs for a buncha stuck-up brats like you, where the  _smallest_ screwup can get me executed on a bad day? It feels mighty satisfying bein' able to tell ya where to stick it for once."

_'Oh, YOU think you've had it bad? Ha ha, you have NO idea...'_

It was so tempting for Lapis to try to shame this rude brute of a Bismuth by telling her about her 5000 year long imprisonment, but she had a feeling it would be a waste of her time. Considering the bartender's overall attitude, she'd probably be met with another "Missed the part where that's my problem" or be accused of lying. So Lapis growled in frustration and crossed her arms.

"You know what? Forget it. There are plenty of other people in this rest stop: if you don't want to help, I'll see if one of them will give me some fuel."

The bartending Bismuth responded with a fit of hearty, booming laughter that reverberated throughout the rest stop, causing every patron (save, again, for the sleeping ones) to look up from their food, women, or music and turn towards Lapis and the bartender, making the blue Gem feel oddly uncomfortable with the attention all of a sudden.

"Oh, you wanna  _bet?!_ " the bartender turned to the crowd and pounded the countertop. "Yo, all you guys in attendance, listen up! Princess over here ran out of fuel for her ship, and needs to bum some fuel off of one of you! Thing is however, she wants it  _for free._ Now, are  _any_ of you guys just gonna let her take somethin' from ya without gettin' anything in return?"

Most of the crowd cracked up, their laughter causing a deep navy blush to creep into Lapis' cheeks. And after the laughter died down, she was met with jeers and comments from the peanut gallery.

"You kidding me? I WORKED for my fuel! Still workin' for that matter, ya freeloading parasite!" a mole alien jeered.

"Pssh, lady? I've only got enough fuel for me, so shove off and quit whining!" a tall, broad creature covered in thick pink fur with eyestalks protruding from his head hollered.

"Sorry miss, I'd buy you some fuel, but I've gotta pay child support to my ex back home!" a tiny goblin alien seated next to Lapis whimpered shamefully.

"YO, BLUE LADY!" one of the gawking beaked reptiles from earlier hollered at Lapis while pointing at the Draconic waitress as she passed. "If ya need money for fuel, why don't ya slip into one of those cute lil' outfits and bring us some food? We'll give ya a nice big tip, that's for sure!" The speaker and his friend cracked up as he slapped the waitress' rear, causing her to retaliate by slamming the pair to the floor with a smack of her tail and freezing them solid with a gust of icy breath for good measure.

Surprisingly, among the mostly hostile crowd one alien eating by the jukebox looked absolutely appalled by the reception Lapis was getting. A big, burly fellow dressed in a mechanic's jumpsuit coated in oil stains, he looked almost cuddly and adorable thanks to his minty green body, slightly rotund physique, bulbous nose and huge, expressive eyes. But the way his thick brows furrowed and his massive hands curled into fists was surprisingly intimidating. Lapis noticed him as he pushed his plate of purple eggs away, and wondered what he had to say before the Bismuth reached across the counter and placed a massive mitt on her shoulder.

"Honey, do you even know where you are?" She asked, then continued without giving Lapis any time to speak. "This rest stop? Aside from a couple'a drifters here and there, pretty much every patron is an asteroid miner! Y'see, unlike you? These guys live their lives doin' hard, honest work extractin' minerals in the vacuum of space! They're pourin' blood, sweat, and tears into their paycheck, and considerin' how hard they work for their money and how much fuel they need to see their families around the galaxy? Heh, good luck findin'  _anyone_ who's gonna lift a finger to help your privileged behind."

When Lapis flew out here to the Nova Veluti system, she had one goal in mind: find a safe place in space where she'd be free from any kind of conflict or strife. She didn't want to get caught up in anybody's business and didn't want to instigate any conflicts. But the hostile environment and uncaring jerk of a Bismuth clouded her mind with rage, and her desire to avoid conflict was drowned out by the bartender's annoying, scornful laughter. Lapis grit her teeth, and her fists trembled with rage while thoughts of shutting the bartender's fat mouth roared louder and louder in her head...

Until she spun around and slugged her across the face with enough force to make her stagger backwards... at the cost of feeling like she had punched a brick wall.

"GAH!" Lapis cried as she grabbed her aching hand.  _'Geez, and I thought that would actually feel satisfying.'_

The bar went silent to the point that one could hear a pin drop, and everyone gasped and stared at Lapis and the Bismuth while the music cut out. Her mouth and eyes wide with shock, the Bismuth gawked dumbly at Lapis as she held her cheek.

"You... you... you uppity little BRAT!"

With a furious snarl, the Bismuth hurled the flagon at Lapis' head. She ducked it, causing it to keep sailing through the air until it shattered over the head of the draconic waitress and caused her to let out a saurian roar of fury.

"GRAAAAAGH! WHAT THE- WHAT DID I EVER DO TO YOU?!" she bellowed as the Bismuth directed her anger at her instead of Lapis.

"Whoa! Sorry about that Trista! Trust me, I was _not_ aiming at- WHOA!"

Furious with the grabby duo that had been hassling her all day as well as her uncaring boss neglecting to do anything about them, Trista flung her serving tray like a massive discus towards the Bismuth. She transformed her hand into a fan-like object and swatted it away... right into the head of a sleeping mole alien patron with a nasty sounding *CLANG!*, causing him to crash onto the floor crying out in pain.

"GAH! Geez... What in tarnation- WHO THREW THAT?!" He growled as he staggered to his feet and looked around the crowd. Several bargoers all pointed fingers at Trista, who bared her fangs and threateningly blasted puffs of icy wind from her snout. "You, huh?! Last I checked, I didn't do nothin' to warrant a tray to the head!" He picked up a stack of empty plates in front of him grabbed one between two knife-like claws on his left hand. "Well here's a rude awakenin' for you, missy: I hit BACK!"

The mole haphazardly flung plate after plate and due to his rage and drowsiness... didn't come close to hitting his target. He did however accidentally fling the plates too close to a few other bargoers for their liking, which in turn was like throwing several matches at a series of powder kegs: each act of barroom violence had escalated into a full-on bar fight.

With a sly grin on their faces, the sorta-humans changed the jukebox's music to a funky-sounding track and jumped into the fray. All around Lapis plates shattered, fists flew, and food and drink alike were slung all over the place. Tiny aliens would tackle larger ones and pin them to the tables or floors, then mercilessly beat them down until either being swatted off by their victim or knocked aside by two other aliens trading fisticuffs. Trista the waitress was now firing a series of icy blasts into the crowd, freezing three drunken brawlers solid before being slapped aside by the protoplasmic alien. While that duo began their own pitched battle, Lapis and the Bismuth jumped away as a pale goblin and the slumbering star-like alien fought a frantic steak-knife duel on the countertop, each metallic clang created by the clashing of their blades echoing through the barroom. Angrily swatting the duelists off the countertop, the Bismuth grit her teeth and morphed each hand into a powerful hammer.

"Alright _honey,_ I've just about had enough of you. Beggin' for handouts, punchin' me in the face, startin' a fight in _my_ bar?! You just made things PERSONAL!"

She vaulted over the countertop with an angry snarl and tried to crush Lapis, only for the smaller Gem to leap out of the way and avoid being crushed into powder. Now absolutely furious, the Bismuth removed her hands from the banged up floor and took several swings at Lapis only to miss every single blow.

"And  _you_ made things personal by being rude FOR NO REASON!" Lapis retorted. Summoning her watery wings, she flew away from the Bismuth and hovered safely near the ceiling. Casting a glance at the frozen bodies of the beaked hecklers from earlier, Lapis grinned evilly as she lifted one of them to her side with her hydrokinesis, and slammed it into her assailant. With a mighty crash followed by the sound of shattering ice, Bismuth and the heckler were flung over the countertop and smashed against a shelf before falling to the ground with a thud, both parties groaning and moaning in pain. Satisfied with teaching the antagonistic bartender a lesson, Lapis smugly folded her arms and smirked only to have her celebration cut short by a large jelly-filled pastry being thrown right at the back of her head.

"What the- HEY!" Lapis tensed up, and her hard-light body naturally repelled all the crust and sweet fruit filling from her hair. Amidst the carnage that consumed the bar, she caught sight of her attacker: a tall and lanky mammalian creature who glared sneakily at her as he prepared to fling another pie with his prehensile trunk of a nose. Prepared for this attack, Lapis dived out of the way of the incoming pastry, swooped towards him with the icy body of the other beaked heckler in tow, and smashed him onto a table with it. Landing on the ground and dusting off her hands, Lapis soon found herself surrounded by the three sorta-humans, all of whom glowered at her with creepy smiles plastered on their faces while enthusiastically slapping sharp, heavy pickaxes against the palms of their hands. Unfazed by their sinister demeanor, Lapis turned to the sink behind the bar, where she could feel the presence of water calling out to her. She extended an arm, and summoned a mass of water with enough force behind it to tear off the faucet as it flew over to her. The mass began morphing and violently shifting as Lapis shot a death glare at all three of her assailants.

"This is your only warning:  _back off._ "

Undeterred, one sorta-human ran towards Lapis and took a mighty swing, only for her to dodge to the left and knock him out cold by morphing the watery mass into the shape of a fist and slugging him in the face. The other two decided to gang up on her, but to no avail: Lapis shifted her watery mass into a giant tentacle that wrapped itself around a sorta-human's waist. With a surprised cry, he was hoisted into the air and swung like a wrecking ball across the barroom, smacking his buddy aside before being flung up at the ceiling.  

"DOES ANYONE ELSE WANT TO PICK A FIGHT WITH ME?!" Lapis snarled as the sorta-human crashed onto the floor, now utterly consumed by anger and bloodlust as she furiously glanced from patron to patron, looking for an excuse to beat more of these jerks into the ground. But the other patrons were either busy brawling among each other, or shaking their heads nervously as they backed away from her. "Good!" Lapis growled, now turning to the door. "Now stay out of my way, and  _leave me alone!_ "

"OH, NO YOU DON'T!" the bartending Bismuth hollered as Lapis made her way to the door. "After causing this kinda ruckus, the only way you're leavin' is in PIECES!" Rearing back a meaty fist, she stomped her way through the barroom and hollered with primal rage, shoving aside any brawlers who got in her way. Unimpressed by the bartender's now-murderous fury, Lapis turned around, morphed her watery mass back into it's original blob-like form, and slowly clenched her hand which caused it to undulate and tremble violently. When the Bismuth got close enough to land her shattering blow, Lapis threw her palm forward which in turn caused the mass to fire an extraordinarily powerful jet of water that blasted the Bismuth with enough force to plaster her against the far wall behind the counter and hold her there, until...

**_*POOF!*_ **

Her hard light body collapsed under the force of the water pressure and "poofed", letting her Gem harmlessly clatter onto the floor where it'd be resting until she regenerated. Now with her last attacker neutralized, Lapis stormed out of the rest stop and returned to the hangar where she stood and faced the ground, breathing heavier and heavier, until-

"GOD!"

She grabbed handfuls of hair and yanked it while screaming in frustration before letting go and plopping down onto the floor, where she sat with her legs bunched up and her face buried in her arms as they rested on her knees.

_'Great! GREAT! This is just perfect: I run out of fuel, and the first place I turn to is full of jerks who can't or WON'T help me! What do I even DO now?!"_

Well there was one obvious answer: fly to the nearest planet and leave her ship behind. But that posed it's own problems: space was  _huge_ , and for all she knew she'd take a hundred years at  _best_ to get there. And while it was hardly five thousand years, one hundred years of nothing but flying while alone with your thoughts and listening to music that was bound to get repetitive would be maddening all the same. And that was assuming she was actually flying towards the planet: she had no idea where it could be and if she flew the wrong way, that one hundred year trip could turn into a five hundred year trip, or a thousand year trip, or a five thousand-

_'No. Oh no, this is NOT an option. I did NOT escape from that stupid mirror just to be subjected to another millenia's worth of torture! No, there has to be another way! There HAS to...'_

The only other option Lapis could think of was stealing a ship... but Peridot's was incredibly user-friendly and would likely control far differently than the more refined ones that were gathered in the hangar. She could at least break into one and hide, or... worst case scenario, threaten somebody into letting her hitch a ride. But again: punching Bismuth and that unintended bar fight aside,unnecessary conflicts were _exactly_  the kind of thing Lapis was looking to avoid. But before Lapis could force herself to brainstorm any other possible answers, the rest stop's door opened, and she was joined by another person looking to escape the all-consuming havoc within.

"Oh, well howdy there, Blue! Almost didn't see you down there! Is everything alright?"

Surprised by how jovial and bombastic the speaker sounded, Lapis glanced up from her knees and realized that the speaker was that portly, cuddly-looking alien in the bar! One of very few people who seemed unhappy with the way she was treated by Bismuth and the others prior to the bar fight, for that matter. Relieved that she wasn't going to have to fight off yet another jerk, Lapis sighed and shook her head.

"Well... I'm pretty sure you heard exactly what's troubling me before I screwed up in there." Lapis answered plainly.

"Yeah: you've got no fuel for your ship, and no money to buy it from anyone! That's pretty rough, I tell ya."

"Do you have to rub it in?" Lapis growled, glaring up at the friendly alien. He looked quite taken aback, his eyes wide with concern as he shook his head.

"Aw Blue, I'm not rubbing anything in!" the alien promised the surly Gem. "I'm just telling it like it is: a stranger in an unfamiliar corner of space in need of aid, and with no one to turn to? That's awful! Even worse was the way all those people in the bar were heckling and making fun of you for it! I'm truly sorry that happened to you, Blue!"

"Oh! Uh... well, thanks, I guess." Lapis answered awkwardly, not expecting this kind of sincerity from the alien. Granted, he didn't look the type to harass her, or make her feel bad going off her first impression of him in the bar, but this kind of outright friendliness...  _that_ was a pleasant surprise. "But it's okay. I'll deal with it, you know? I mean, I can fly, I can breathe in space, I'm hardly helpless."

"Oh-ho _boy_ , isn't that the truth?!" the alien guffawed, slapping a meaty palm against his knee. "The way you just flew around throwing ice all over the place, and slamming people onto the floor with water... I tell ya, you Gems are exactly as tough as the stories say! But that doesn't mean you have to just rough it out in space, either." He reached down towards Lapis and opened his hand invitingly to her. "Tell you what, Blue: forget about what that bartender was yakking about in there! She says that no one here at this rest stop would want to help you for free, but she's wrong! She's DEAD wrong! I've got plenty of fuel to spare, and if you need some? I'm more than happy to give it to you, free of charge!"

Lapis' mouth was agape as she processed all this. "Wait, you're... just gonna give me some fuel?"

"Free of charge!" the kind stranger repeated, flashing a thumb's up and a winning grin for emphasis.

"Wow, that's... so kind of you." Lapis sputtered, now completely flabbergasted at this display of generosity. "B-But why? I haven't done anything for you, and you don't have anything to gain from it! Are you sure you actually want to do this?"

"Well why wouldn't I, Blue?" the stranger asked incredulously, "If you know that someone needs help, and you've got the means to help them, then you don't have an excuse to ignore them, y'know? It's the right thing to do!"

"W-Well in that case... yeah, sure! I guess I'll take your fuel!" Lapis took the stranger's hand and got to her feet. "Thank you... uh..."

"Hurley! Real nice to meetcha, Blue!" The alien named Hurley chuckled as he shook Lapis' hand, shaking her about like crazy due to his surprising strength.

"Thank you, Hurley. And my name's Lapis: Lapis Lazuli!"

"Ha, well that's a pretty name, Lapis! But I think Blue's got a better ring to it..." Hurley chuckled and popped his back before continuing. "But anyway, how about we head on over to my ship? We'll grab some fuel canisters, and I'll help with refueling should you need it!"

"I think I can handle that part myself, but thanks anyway!" Lapis replied with a giggle.

"Ha, okay then! But uh... quick question: which ship IS yours, anyway?" Hurley asked, cocking a thick, bushy brow.

"Oh you'll know it when you see it! It's green, round..."

"Wait, are you talking about the ship that's being towed away?"

"Yeah, that's exa-" Lapis stopped dead, and felt her stomach drop when she let Hurley's words sink in. "Wait... towed away...?"

Lapis turned to the end of the runway, and gasped at the sight that was waiting for her: her escape pod was gripped tightly by a large clawlike attachment protruding from a large white ship and pulled up to where it was resting on it's bottom. The engine flared...

"No, no, no, no, NO! WAIT, THAT'S MY SHIP! **GIVE IT BACK!** "

Uncaring to her pleas, the ship blasted off and veered to the left after breaching the forcefield. Sprouting her wings, Lapis took off in hot pursuit and cleared the runway in seconds, only to be caught by the forcefield and blasted back onto the ground due to it shifting colors from green to blue. Crying out in pain due to her Gem banging the floor, she simply laid there and groaned in defeat as she listlessly stared at the ceiling and came to a realization: nobody was exempt from local parking laws, not even her...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright ladies and gents, here's chapter 4: where the REAL action begins... and I heavily diverge from my original story. In that one, Lapis found a space convenience store and tried to buy fuel, only to get yelled at by the manager for not having money. In theory it would be a cute way to capture the main show's quirky feel... but at the same time? It was just boring and nothing happened, not to mention it wasn't a good establishing moment for the overall tone of the story.
> 
> Basically, with this story? It's not going to be grimdark and doom and gloom, but it IS going to be darker than the main show: no gore or constant ridiculous swearing, but there definitely will be a good amount of violence, trauma, some mild swears (used sparingly)... basically, around Clone Wars levels of dark. Since Lapis is basically a moody older teen/young adult while Steven has the mindset of a child, I kind of want the Nova Veluti system to overall feel grittier and sleazier to reflect Lapis' cynicism, which I embodied in the bar scene. Which, in turn, was so fun to write for because not only was it great incorporating all these crazy aliens and having an excuse to slip in a Bismuth vs Lapis conflict when the show failed to deliver one, but the bar fight was just too fun to write. I'm still getting a good feel for action scenes, but I can say that I had WAY too much fun with it.
> 
> And some assorted trivia before I leave you guys: the Bismuth? I never put it in the story itself since I couldn't think of a way for it to be mentioned without it feeling awkwardly shoehorned... but her name is Lilac, much like her skin color. A mean little Bismuth grown embittered by millenia of hard labor, and now a bartender with a mean pair of hammerhands, Lilac is a Gem I had a surprising amount of fun writing for and more than anything kinda used her as a way to take the piss out of those overly anal SU Critical types, ha ha. And uh... full disclosure: just because I wrote this particular Bismuth as a total jerk with little, if any redeeming qualities, it doesn't mean that I hate ALL Bismuths or the character herself. I love her and am writing more sympathetic Bismuths in future chapters.


	5. Dude, Where's My Ship?!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lapis hitches a ride with Hurley to the city of Krapton on the planet Dizmol, where her ship has been towed to. And while she makes the unfortunate discovery that he's kind of a slob, elsewhere in the galaxy, news of Lapis' antics in the bar catch the ear of a sinister Gem with ill intentions...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Due to feeling that I introduced the main villains of the story too early and did it in a way that I found unsatisfactory, I decided to give this chapter a fresh start with a totally different second half, meaning that Chapter 6 will be a tad late. Really sorry about that!

Lapis had no idea how long she had spent laying spread-eagle on the ground in the hangar. To her, it felt like an hour. In reality, it was probably half a minute at the most. But it was hard to keep track of time thanks to that horrific scene playing out in her head: Her ship being towed away by that bigger ship while she was helpless to stop it. Her ship... which had the CD player Steven gave to her on it. That memento of the only happy times she had on Earth was now lightyears away, likely being fawned over by some creepy alien weirdo. And she doubted that she'd ever get it back.

That in and of itself was bad enough, until one of those security drones that scanned her ship earlier flew by, it's optic sensor flashing with a yellow light as it emitted a pleasant chime.

 _"Transmission Received from Big Biz Towing,"_ it replied in a high, feminine voice before shifting to an oddly familiar gruff one with a cutesy tone that made Lapis grit her teeth on instinct.  _"Hey, little friend! I'm real, real sorry that you have to hear this message, but uh... well, looks like you screwed up! You didn't park your ship right, so uh, one of my boys had to fly out and tow it away! Real sorry about that, honest! But rules are rules, you know? You can't just park wherever you want like a crazy person, 'cause that's how ya steal parking spaces, or block the way in and out of a hangar! But hey, we all make mistakes! So why don't ya call in a ride down to Krapton and head over to Big Biz Towin'? I'm more than happy to help you reunite with your vehicle as quickly as possible! I'll be waitin' for you!"_

The drone flew away when it's message finished, leaving Lapis to ineffectively simmer in the hatred and rage that was slowly building up inside of her. It started off beneath the surface, but she quickly began to grumble and mutter angrily under her breath while her hands balled into trembling fists...

"Uh... Blue?" Hurley asked gently as he cautiously made his approach towards Lapis. "Are you okay?"

"Am I okay? _Am I okay?!_ " Lapis asked incredulously as she got up from the ground, her rage spilling out into the open, "Right when it looks like things are looking up for me, I get my ship stolen and with my best friend's gift inside! How do you  _think_ I'm feeling?!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, just cool your jets a second, okay?" Hurley urged the furious Gem. "Nothing's being stolen from you! You've just got yourself tangled up in a little parking dispute, and that's hardly worth fussing about!"

"Oh ho, that's easy for  _you_ to say: you're not the one who got their ship hauled away!" Lapis hollered while pointing aggressively at Hurley. The cuddly alien frowned and looked her dead in the eyes, a look of distant sorrow in his gentle gaze.

"Well... you're right about that. But I've lost my fair share of good things too and... well, I know where you're coming from. All that fear, anger, and uncertainty brewin' up inside you? I know how it feels, and it's pretty awful."

As much as Lapis wanted to be angry, she lost her nerve when she heard that genuine, somewhat shaky sadness in his voice. Her hands relaxed and the heat in her face died down while he continued.

"But please: trust me when I say that everything is going to be alright! I'm not trying to downplay your fears of losing your prized possessions, but I  _do_ want to reassure you that you'll get them back!"

"You're sure?" Lapis asked, the biting venom in her tone replaced with genuine curiosity.

"Ha ha, you bet!" Hurley raised a fist triumphantly, having bounced back from that small funk earlier. "I've been drifting from place to place around Nova Veluti for twenty some-odd years now! I've been to plenty of great places, and met plenty of great people! And Big Biz... ha, she's one of them! Despite her line of work, she's actually a real nice lady, and pretty reasonable when it comes to negotiating the return of people's vehicles! I uh... ha ha, know from first hand experience..."

Hurley rubbed the back of his head and grinned shamefully, and Lapis couldn't fight the grin that formed on the right side of her mouth. Yeah, nice as he was? For some reason, Lapis could totally see a guy like him getting in trouble for illegal parking.

"But like I said: you have nothing to worry about! All we have to do is make a quick trip to Krapton, and you'll be reunited with your ship before you know it! And lucky for you, the planet it's on is pretty close by!" Hurley then turned to a large, off-white, bulky ship that vaguely reminded her of the vehicle Steven's dad drove around in  _(What was it called, a van?)_ and gestured over to it. "So feel free to hop aboard, Blue! Just give me some time to prepare for our voyage, and we'll be blasting off in no time!"

"Whoa, really? You're okay with me just... hitching a ride?"

"Ha ha, of course I am! My ship has plenty of room for passengers, and I'm always happy to have company on board!" Hurley confirmed, proudly thumping his chest with his fist. "And again: when someone's in trouble and you have the means to help them? There's no excuse not to lend a hand! It's your personal responsibility, you know!"

While shocked by the mere act of being offered free fuel, Lapis was absolutely floored by the true extent of this guy's generosity. She barely knew him, and yet he was willing to drop everything and fly her to another planet! It was so kind, so thoughtful, so... Steveny. She definitely lucked out by running into him, alright...

"Well when you put it that way? Sure, I'll come with you! Thanks for helping me out... again."

"No problem, Blue!"

"It's  _Lapis!_ " Lapis corrected, prompting a chuckle from Hurley.

"Ha ha, sorry about that!"

The pair made their way to the door of Hurley's ship, and the larger alien whipped out a triangular device that was the same shade of faded off-white that the ship was. "Well Lapis, allow me to introduce you to the Cosmic Dynamo! She may not be as sleek or swift as so many other ships, but she's served me well these past thirty years. And I bet you'll love her as well! Just uh... watch your step, okay? I haven't had a chance to clean up so it's  _kind_ of messy inside!"

The door opened at the push of a button, and a metal ramp stretched out to touch the ground. Lapis couldn't see any sort of a mess due to how dark it was inside, so she took his warning with a grain of salt.

"Heh, I'm pretty sure I'll be fine..." 

She stepped inside of the ship, and upon entering the Cosmic Dynamo, the lights activated and illuminated the interior. And to Lapis' horror, she realized that kinda messy... was  _something_ of an understatement. In fact, Hurley's pride and joy was a mess of the highest order.

She gawked in absolute horror at the heaps of trash that surrounded her: large baggy clothes stained with god-knows-what, empty cans of a drink called "Tentacle Brew" and neon-colored food wrappers laid at her feet while stale, rotten food and the trays they sat in were strewn all over a table and across a series of shelves, crowding out the small collection of ray guns and space gear that looked far more at home there. There was also a nearby sink that was filled with dirty, off-colored undergarments that stained the sink water a nasty, filthy gray. And over near the ship's refrigerator... was that some kind of strange rodent that Lapis caught scampering away?

Lapis already felt squeamish just from being surrounded by all this garbage, but she graduated to full on "sick to her stomach" when she made the fatal mistake of sniffing the air. Just a small whiff was enough to assault her nose with a putrid mix of rot, filth, body odor, and mildew, and it made her nearly keel over to boot.

"OH GOD!" Lapis cried out, only to fall into a coughing and gagging fit while Hurley made his way up from the cargo hold and approached her. Lapis tried to choke out a word or two, but she could only continue gagging while Hurley clasped a hand on her shoulder and chuckled at her expense.

"Ha ha, that "bachelor pad" scent gets 'em every time, I tell ya! You okay there Blue?" Hurley asked while Lapis gave the alien a look of utter disbelief.

"Okay? OKAY?! That could have  _killed_ me!" Lapis spat angrily as she tried her best to choke back the bile rising in her throat, "How do you put up with that stench?! Or all that garbage lying around?! This place is a  _dump_!"

"Well, I ain't gonna argue with you there, Blue." Hurley admitted as he pressed a button and let his space helmet fold back into his jumpsuit's collar, "It  _is_ a dump... but it's  _my_ dump, you know! Don't worry, you'll get used to it in no time! I sure did..." He then closed his eyes and, to Lapis' horror, took a nice, long whiff of the air before sighing peacefully. "And besides, the scent isn't so bad after you've had enough exposure to it. Heck, I'd say it's downright enjoyable!"

Lapis had to fight back the urge to dry heave while Hurley popped his short, stubby fingers, and glanced over where the driver's seat and several other chairs were; the "bridge" of this disorderly ship. "Anyway Blue, I don't wanna be a rude host and leave you standing around while I talk your ears off: go take a seat in the bridge! Give me some time to empty the sink, grab something to ease the ol' motion sickness, and we should have this baby running in no time!"

Lapis gave the bridge a look and surprisingly, it wasn't all that filthy compared to the rest of the ship. Sure, the control panel was cluttered with strange baubles and toys and she had to wade through piles of dirty clothes and wrappers to get there, but it was a lot more pleasant than... the rest of the ship, really. And besides, he left nothing nasty on the seats and to Lapis, that was the most important detail of all.

"Alright then." Lapis answered, "And uh... thanks for the ride."

"No problem, Blue!" Hurley said as he flashed a friendly salute. Lapis however gave an irate huff and stomped over to the chair.

"Lapis. LAPIS. The name is  _Lapis._  Seriously: Blue? Bob? Why do so many people get my name wro-"

Lapis stopped cold in her tracks and fell silent when she felt her left foot step in something squishy.  _'Oh NO.'_ Lapis thought to herself, her eyes wide with fear. A sense of dread boiling deep inside of her, Lapis slowly lifted her leg up, and let her jaw fall open in horror when she saw what she stepped on: it was... some sort of fruit, she guessed, due to the rotten yet sweet scent and the pulpy, juicy texture against her foot. And it looked absolutely ghastly: its color was an odd mix of puke green, dung brown, moldy grey, and just a  _faint_ hue of purple that she assumed was the shade it would have been had it been in date.

Lapis could only stare at the rotten sludge that was splattered against her foot for what felt like an eternity, before Hurley broke the silence. "Oh, Blue! Watch your step around there, okay? I chucked a bad Sugarfruit over my shoulder a few days ago, and it splatted on the ground. Ha ha, that's NOT the kinda thing you want to step on, that's for sure!"

With a horrified scream, Lapis fell onto her butt before summoning a stream of water from her back. Solidifying it to where it had a gel-like consistency, she grabbed it and used it to scrub all traces of the fruit off her foot, gagging and shuddering the entire time while fighting back vomit, deeply regretting the fact that she shapeshifted a digestion system so she could eat snacks with Steven. After cleaning her foot, she dismissed the water and gave a growl of annoyance before getting up and making her way to the nearest chair and plopping down on it.

 _'Of course. Of COURSE the one guy who wants to help me out has to be a total slob! Why would I ever get a break?!'_ She thought grumpily to herself.  _'Please oh PLEASE just get me to Krapon or whatever it's called. Before the stench kills me...'_

* * *

 

_Meanwhile, on a not-so distant planet..._

When the family you lived with owned a casino, you'd think that there'd be little to no downsides to such an arrangement. Being able to enjoy top-of-the-line cuisine, hitting the slots and card tables, placing bets on Felit races, being served drinks by beautiful Hopkoblin women in skimpy jumpsuits, or reclining on the fine leather couches while binging over a thousand channels worth of Holovision programming... and of course, since your family owned the casino, that made you the house. And when it comes to gambling? The house  _always_ wins. And that was very much the case for the Kazkani family, a fearsome crime syndicate who held the port city of Krapton in their iron grip. But for Tadd Spadeclaw, the family slave? Well, not so much...

"YO, RAT BOY! Pull up a chair for that pretty lady over there!"

"'Ey, Rat Boy! Anudda round'a drinks over here, right now!"

"Alright Rat Boy, da boss wants a platter of cream puffs right away! Ya slack off, and I've got permission ta shock ya into next week, ya hear?!"

"Alright, alright! Just-just give me a minute!"

Speeding back and forth across the dimly lit casino all day had worked a real number on poor Tadd. An anthropomorphic mole creature known as a Tunnelkin, Tadd was cursed with stubby little legs and a short stature, which meant that unlike the native long-limbed Hopkoblins of Dizmol, he had to take far more steps than usual in order to quickly navigate the casino. And unsurprisingly, his paws ached in utter agony: each footstep resulted in a dull stabbing sensation that made him wince, and it had gotten so bad that the beginnings of a migraine began to build up in his head as a result. It was so tempting to ask to take a fiver, or a tenner... or heck, a thirtier. But the black metallic shock collar strapped around his neck made that a dangerous prospect.

And so, without any complaints or whining, Tadd did as he was told: he grabbed a stool that was almost taller than him and pushed it over to a bar where a tall, pink-haired, voluptuous Hopkoblin serving girl took her seat near a diminutive male dressed in a spiffy suit. He then headed around the bar and into the kitchen, accumulating a platter full of cream puffs as well as a few bottles of liquor that he delivered to a group of female mobsters crowded around a Felit racing pen, then dashed up a flight of steps to a cabin labeled "VIP", where the fearsome boss of the Kazkani family and his entourage laid in wait of his delicious snacks...

"Well it's about time, ya dumb rat!" A gruff, crass-sounding voice whined from a black leather couch in the back, "Now hurry up and gimme those puffs, why don't ya? These ladies are gonna starve to death without 'em!"

Reclining on a black leather sofa with two tall, curvaceous Hopkoblin women dressed in skimpy gold and silver swimsuits around each arm was one Val Kazkani, a thuggish mafia boss who was a cut above the average member of his species. He was a head taller than most male Hopkoblins (Though he was still shorter than the taller females), his jaw was square and strong, and he had a rather brawny physique as opposed to a typical scrawny build. And unlike the yellow eyes that the rest of his species had, his were a bloody crimson that complimented his skin, which was downright ghostly when compared to the already pale skin of his brethren. And while his goons all dressed in more simplistic formalwear, he was dressed in a snazzy red and black pinstripe suit, which perfectly suited the similarly colored VIP lounge.

"Alright Mr. Val! Just... just hold on...!"

Panting like a dog, Tadd put the agony of his feet in the back of his mind as he staggered past beautiful plants and ornate pottery, and approached the small table in front of Val's couch. He set the platter of cream puffs down, and Val chuckled smugly as he grabbed a puff and gave it a sniff before chomping it down.

"Aw man: smells sweet, tastes sweet, looks aesthetically pleasing... ha, my baby sis did it again!" Val leaned back and placed his arms around the shoulders of his girlfriends before continuing. "Hey ladies, fun fact about my family: my youngest sister? Best friggin' chef in Nova Veluti: guaranteed! Ma and Pop didn't like that she went to culinary school on account of them wanting her to join the family business, but considering how good her cookin' is? I'd say she made the right choice! Now how's about you gals see for yourselves..."

Val then got up and grabbed the platter while the girl on the right got up and sat on the left side of the couch with her sister. They laid down flat on their backs, and Val sat facing them on the right side before grabbing a puff.

"Alright Silva, open wide!"

Val fed the chubbier of the girls by hand, and she gleefully gulped the cream puff down. And while she swallowed, he grabbed another and held it up to the skinnier sister.

"Your turn, Goldie!"

Despite being the skinnier of the pair, Goldie attacked the puff with far more ferocity. Val was quick to put another puff in Silva's mouth, and while he reached for another puff to feed to Goldie, Tadd was feeling antsy. His feet were in utter agony, and he had to balance himself on one footpaw at a time in a futile attempt to ease the pressure on them. It was so tempting to ask Val if there was anything else he could do to at least keep his mind off the pain, but his owner made it clear that he had a "Don't speak unless spoken to" policy that was punishable by a few hundred watts coursing through his veins. But thankfully, Val turned towards him after each girl ate four puffs, and he scowled at the boy.

"Hey butthead, what's your deal?"

"M-My deal?"

"What are you doin', standing around and gawkin' at us like a moron?"

"Oh! Sorry sir, I'm just waiting to see if there was anything else you wanted me to do!" Tadd promised meekly, his shock collar feeling uncomfortably tight at the moment.

"Waiting? WAITING? Geez kid, are you stupid or somethin'?" Val groaned as he rolled his crimson eyes, "Ya give us a platter of cream puffs: tasty snacks that make ya thirsty on account of the fact that they're baked goods... and you won't go get us a drink to chase 'em down with?"

"A drink...?" Val fished a small black controller with a prominent electric blue button out of his suit pocket, and Tadd nervously chuckled like mad as he put on an air of bluster and bravado. "Ha ha, yeah, a drink! I-I was gonna get you one, b-b-but I didn't want to walk away! I-I thought it'd be rude, sir!"

Tadd grit his teeth and squeezed his eyes shut, bracing himself for a brief, yet nasty electric shock... but luckily, Val elected to pocket the shocker and instead walked over to Tadd. And once he reached the young tunnelkin, he went the less painful, yet still unpleasant route of knocking on his head as if it were a door.

" _Hello? Hello?! Is anybody home?!"_ Val asked sarcastically before exasperatedly throwing his arms into the air. "Think,Rat Boy!  _Think!_  Ya don't have to ask to get us something to drink while we're eating! It's common friggin' sense! You tellin' me ya don't have common sense?!"

"N-No sir, not at all!"

"Coulda fooled me!" Val sighed and dug his finger claws into his temples. "Eh, you know what? I DO appreciate you wanting to be polite and all, so I'll let this screwup slide. So go ahead and grab us a bottle of Tentacle Brew, why don't ya? And after that, feel free to take a break. I need ya nice and rested for tonight's brew run!"

Tad's eyes widened in shock, and he put a clawed paw over his mouth. "Oh! Uh... thank you, sir!"

"Hey, less thanking and more doing, yeah? Don't make me regret not giving you a corrective shock!" Val scolded, pointing at Tadd's collar.

"G-Got it! I'll be back in a flash!"

Tadd didn't have to be told twice, he left the VIP room and staggered back towards the bar, absolutely exhausted, while grateful for the fact that he avoided one of those "corrective shocks" he hated so much.

_'Boy, was that a close one! I can't believe I actually got off with a warning! That never would have happened back at the mines...'_

Indeed: as much as being forced to work under the Kazkanis sucked? It was a huge step up back from his previous life: when he was seven, Tadd spent two years slaving away at a mining facility on a jungle planet elsewhere in the Nova Veluti system. He was one of many unfortunate Tunnelkin kidnapped from their home planet and enslaved due to their digging prowess by his heartless owner, who used their back-breaking labor not only as a way to mine for precious minerals and metals, but to prepare them for labor elsewhere before selling them off to other rich sociopaths across the galaxy.

_'Eh, what am I even complaining about? I mean, at least I don't have to worry about cave-ins, gas leaks, ultraviolent taskmasters, and big scary underground monsters anymore!'_

Tadd smiled in spite of himself as he made his way around the bar and into the kitchen, where a tall female Hopkoblin chef with her cyan hair tied back under a bandana greeted him with a surprisingly kind grin and took his platter. As she loaded it with puffs and searched for a good bottle of brew, Tadd rehearsed a saying he had been telling himself for the past five years living with the Kazkanis:

_'It's gonna get better. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow... but it's gonna get better. It HAS to.'_

And those were certainly words to live by. The main thing keeping the poor kid going was the knowledge that after leaving those awful mines? There was nowhere to go but up: Krapton? Awful, but bearable. The Kazkanis? They were a mean bunch, but thankfully? The whole lot of them were criminals which meant that someday, somehow? Their lifestyle would catch up to them.

Tadd didn't know how or when, but the hammer of karma would go swinging their way some day. He saw it happen all the time on the news: space pirates, slavers, and all sorts of crooks were often arrested or killed in the line of duty. Mobsters like the Kazkanis were in no way exempt from such fates, and who knows? Maybe some day, the willfully blind police would step up to the plate and tolerate their lawbreaking no longer. Maybe they'd get shot up by a rival crime syndicate, or get busted for tax evasion. Or even less likely, yet still awesome to think about would be a mysterious stranger heading into town and wiping them out, like those cool thrillers he'd catch on the Holovision. But as cool a thought as it was, the last option was way too outside the realm of possibility to actually happen...

Or was it?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another day, another chapter, and the last daily chapter! From now on, all other chapter releases will be weekly barring a hiatus. This one is a shorter retelling of the old chapter 5: the bit where Lapis enters Hurley's van is pretty much exactly the same as the old version of this story! And the part with new character Tadd... is kinda the same, kinda new. I edited this chapter because I introduced the main villains way too early and in a way that was unsatisfactory to me, so instead of meeting them? We meet a semi-important character and the arc villain of this story arc!
> 
> But anyway, I'm gonna use this section to talk about the OC's I've introduced...
> 
> Hurley: This guy is just too fun to write for: a big, jovial, fatherly alien who keeps a... VERY messy home. I really do like the "friendly, helpful blue collar working man" archetype and Hurley's meant to embody the best parts of it. Albeit, he's far from perfect, something that will be made very clear in his backstory... but until then? I think he bounces well off of Lapis and hope you guys find him as entertaining as I do. And a bit of trivia: his species and overall appearance are based off of the Mr. Queasy doll in Cheeseburger Backpack! They're called Queasians and are super strong and durable... with the drawback of being heavily, heavily prone to crippling motion sickness (Oog! Kid, don't shake me!) And as far as his voice goes... imagine him sounding like John Goodman, lol. That's like, THE perfect dad voice.
> 
> Tadd Spadeclaw: This fella was going to be in the original version of this story, but I initially cut him from this version because I didn't think he'd fit. But now, I'm bringing him back, and while he'll still be important? He's not gonna be a main character like last time: basically, I wanted Tadd to be a tagalong kid who Lapis would bond with due to his similarities to Steven, but I felt that he didn't have a place on the team and couldn't think of anything for him to do despite his prominence. So the role of the "Steveny kid Lapis bonds with" is being given to an as-of-yet unseen character, but Tadd? He'll still be important for introducing the next arc (Which is where the conflict really gets moving) as well as another arc where I CAN fit him in without it feeling shoehorned. But yeah, Tadd is basically a child slave who grew up well-adjusted due to adopting an optimistic outlook on life in spite of his personal tragedies. While he won't have the same bond with Lapis as originally intended, I kinda want to use him as a stepping stone to further her character growth all the same... as far as my ideal voice for him goes? I was thinking Tom Holland as Spider-Man: I'm not super big on the way the MCU has treated Spider-Man, but Tom is perfect at nailing the "Sweet kid who wants to do good in this world despite the odds against him" aspect of the character, which I think fits Tadd like a glove.
> 
> Val Kazkani: Every story needs an overconfident warmup villain to show how outclassed the usual baddie is against the hero, and Val is no exception. A grumpy little goblin who is partially inspired by Dragon Ball's Emperor Pilaf, partially by Back to the Future's Biff Tannen, Val is a brutish mob boss who despite not being stupid, is smug and self-assured to the point of suicidal overconfidence which leaves him wide open for say, a certain Gem's watery sucker punch... not much to say here other than that I love his archetype and am having fun writing him. And while reading his dialogue... considering I've been copying a few of Biff's mannerisms, I totally picture him with Thomas F. Wilson's voice, ha ha. (Fun Fact: He was a woman in the original draft, but I changed his gender since I didn't like how I was writing Fem!Val and am having more fun with the "Totally not Biff Tannen" characterization I gave Male!Val)


	6. Crappy Town, Cuddly Bismuth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lapis makes it to Krapton, a depressing port town on the even more depressing planet known as Dizmol where she meets a surprisingly friendly, if overly affectionate friend of Hurley's.

At last: after that fiasco in the bar and losing her ship to a towing company, the Cosmic Dynamo was currently sailing through the cosmos at warp speed and Lapis was on the move once again. Granted, she wasn't too fond of doing so in what may as well have been a small, portable landfill... but beggars can't be choosers, as they say. In order to keep her mind off the mountains of trash and the milk-curdling scent of Hurley's ship, Lapis thought back to the songs she liked best from the CD's Steven gave her and pretended to be listening to them. And in spite of her lack of a CD player, she could clearly hear the lyrics of a particularly catchy psychedelic rock song playing in her head.

 _"Home in the valley,_   _Home in the city,"_

_"Home isn't pretty, Ain't no home for me,"_

_"Home in the darkness,_   _Home on the highway,"_

 _"Home isn't my way,_   _Home I-"_

"I tell ya Blue," Hurley interjected, his booming voice throwing off Lapis' concentration, "It's really nice to have company on this ship for a change! You have any idea how lonely it gets, traveling through the cosmos with no one to talk to?"

"What?" Lapis asked irritably.

"Ha ha, lost in your own little world today, huh?" Hurley chuckled warmly, "Well Blue, all I was saying was that I'm pretty happy to have you onboard. I dunno how long this arrangement's going to last, but hey: I say we ought to cherish every second, right?"

"...yeah." Lapis stated as she rolled her eyes and retreated back into her mind, the stench of garbage slowly becoming more unbearable. Much to her chagrin though, Hurley's interjection caused her to lose her spot, leading her to having to reimagine the song from the beginning. This time however, she barely started imagining the opening guitar solo before Hurley cut in yet again.

"So Blue, while we're here-"

 _"What?!"_ Lapis snarled as she lost her train of thought.

"Hey now, let me finish before you cut in like that!" Hurley scolded Lapis playfully, who in return gave him a look of disbelief.

_'Only one person's "cutting in" around here, and it's not me.'_

"Heh heh, but anyway Blue, I'm curious: What brings a Gem like you all the way to this part of the galaxy? I get the feeling that you've got one heck of an interesting story to tell!"

Lapis recoiled and stared awkwardly into her lap, as this was exactly the kind of question she had hoped he wouldn't ask.

"Hey, Blue? You okay there? Felit got your tongue?" Hurley asked Lapis, who simply shrugged.

"I have no idea what a Felit is, and nothing's got my tongue. I just don't want to talk about it."

Hurley rose a curious eyebrow. "You don't?"

"I  _don't._  Now can you just drop the subject?" Lapis asked harshly. The crestfallen Hurley simply pouted as he stared down at his control panel.

"Well that's a bummer. I may not get them very often, but I really like hearing the stories of the hitchhikers I pick up! Their reasons for ditching home and starting fresh elsewhere, the sights they've seen, the lives they've lived... and shucks, a Gem hitchhiker to boot? I bet you've seen all kinds of amazing things, what with your fancy planet and scary technology..."

" _Will you cut it out?!_ " Lapis groaned, "For crying out loud, _no means no!_ "

"Okay, okay, I'll drop it! Scout's honor!" Hurley promised while Lapis gave an exasperated sigh of relief.

" _Thank you!_ " 

And for the next few minutes, an awkward silence permeated the  _Cosmic Dynamo_ , with the duo going about their own business: Hurley piloting the ship while Lapis was content to stare at all the little baubles that decorated the control console of the bridge. The majority of them appeared to be toys: little plasticine figures of bizarre monsters and aliens while others were huge, plush creatures with exaggerated cutesy features. But among all the toys and playthings, two very different objects caught Lapis' attention: they were small metal discs that projected holographic images of what appeared to be another member of Hurley's species. Given the pronounced eyelashes and thinner eyebrows, Lapis assumed it was a little girl, as she was a good deal smaller and less rotund than Hurley, with light blue skin and dressed in a white and pink full body jumpsuit with a hoop skirt-like attachment around her waist. In one image she was seated on a cube-shaped pedestal grinning widely, and in the other? She appeared to be laughing, and was being held close by a younger, trimmer Hurley. Lapis couldn't help but notice the unbridled  _joy_ in his face, the shine in his eye and ear-to-ear grin as he held the smaller alien to his chest... it was different than the friendliness he had displayed towards her. Lapis didn't know what to make of it, and was interrupted by Hurley before she could analyze it further.

"Hey, uh... Blue?"

"What do you want now, Hurley?" Lapis answered with an exasperated sigh.

"I'm really sorry for getting all pushy earlier." Hurley apologized with the utmost sincerity. "I wasn't doing right by you. I get it: if you're headed out so far from home, you've definitely got your reasons, and it's none of my business."

Lapis mulled it over and her irritated frown softened into a guilty one, while regret for her earlier behavior began sinking in. Yes, he was overbearing and a tad annoying, but isn't it normal to want to know more about someone you just met? She could have easily been gentler about getting him to leave her alone. "It's okay, Hurley. I just..." she crossed her arms before leaning back in her chair. "I've been through a lot: bad things happened to me, and... well, I did some pretty bad things myself. My life is a mess, and I needed a fresh start to get away from it all."

"Ah, I see where you're coming from," Hurley replied with a solemn nod, "I've been there before, believe it or not."

"Really?"

"Oh yeah: the regret that comes from hurting people, that feeling of just wanting to escape the place that keeps reminding you of your mistakes..." Hurley's eyes were drawn to the image of him and the smaller alien and he simply stared at it for a bit, taking a deep breath before facing the cockpit. "Look, Blue: if you don't want to talk about your past, then that's fine. Last thing you need is some dumb slob sticking his nose in your business!"

"Hey, you're not dumb, and you're not a-" While honest about the first part, Lapis couldn't lie in the face of the overpowering odor of Hurley's landfill of a ship. "Well, yeah, you're a slob. But you've still got a heart, I'd say."

Lapis' playful insult was exactly what was needed to break the heavy atmosphere: Hurley cracked up, and Lapis got a case of the giggles as well as his joyous laughter rang out through the Cosmic Dynamo. And when it died down, the Dynamo's speed went from blinding all the way down to a crawl as a planet came into view.

"Well Blue, here we are! What you're looking at is Dizmol: the first of the Nova Veluti system's nineteen inhabited planets, and home of the Hopkoblin species!"

Lapis frowned and furrowed her brow at the sight of the planet. Now one shouldn't judge a book by it's cover, but by looking at it from outer space, Lapis could tell that Dizmol was... well, dismal. It was a dinky little planet that looked to be a bit smaller than Earth, and was colored in all sorts of shades of grey: whitish grey clouds obscured most of the planet's surface, while darker grey patches of barren land forming large continents and charcoal-colored oceans could be seen in the gaps. It didn't inspire any confidence in Lapis, so she decided to be honest about her feelings.

"That is one crappy planet."

"Well you sure don't mince words, huh? Ha ha, ha ha..." Hurley chuckled sheepishly, "Yeah... believe me when I say that a  _ton_ of people agree with you. In between the near-constant rain, oppressive organized crime families, and dreary landscape? You've got one heck of a miserable population! Thankfully, it's not all bad: Krapton's actually a pretty decent place! You'll see for yourself in just a second..."

Hurley played around with the ship's control console for a bit, twisting dials and pressing tons of buttons, until he finished by hitting a large blue button with a satisfying *SMACK!*

"Now hang on tight, Blue. 'Cause we're in for one heck of a lan-DIIIIIIIIIIIIING!"

The Cosmic Dynamo suddenly blasted forward at a breakneck pace, causing Lapis to abruptly jerk forward and back into her seat with a cry of "WHOA!" while the pair broke through the atmosphere. Once they did so, Hurley dialed back the speed a few notches while Lapis found her bearings and steadied herself. Now that the ship wasn't going so fast as to almost hurl her into the depths of space, Lapis was able to truly observe the world outside the cockpit. And now that she had a closer look at the planet Dizmol? It... looked even worse than she thought.

While she knew the planet would look drab, she didn't expect it to look so  _miserable:_ the landscape for the most part was a ton of sweeping, vast plains with steep hills, and the ground was cracked, grey, and barren, as if all the life had been sucked out of it. Every now and then the Cosmic Dynamo would fly over patches of plant life, but they didn't look any better: the grass was an unpleasant shade of black that gave it the appearance of being heavily charred, and these strange towering plants that looked like grey fungal growths grew in large clusters that Lapis could only assume were this planet's equivalent to forests. And way out in the distance, Lapis could see neon lights and spiky skyscrapers that signaled the presence of cities in this drab hellscape. While her experiences in Empire City left Lapis with a fondness for cityscapes, she couldn't get over how depressing they looked due to the backdrop of deep grey skies and torrential rains pouring down from above.

"Heh heh... yeah, this place sucks." Lapis chuckled dryly, her remark almost completely drowned out by the din of the rain slapping against the Cosmic Dynamo. "Hurley, what's up with this planet, anyway? It looks... depressing."

"Couldn't tell ya if I wanted to, Blue." Hurley replied with a shrug. "Dizmol's been like this since the beginning of the planet's recorded history: the soil isn't kind to plant life, the wildlife is creepy and ornery, the seas are sour, rain keeps fallin'... now if you believe the old religious stories of the Dizmolans, the crummy atmosphere is all because the planet's creation was the result of their god popping a squat right in the middle of space, and Dizmol's basically a... well..." the alien blushed a dark minty green, and twiddled his fat thumbs awkwardly while trying to find a family-friendly way to explain it. But Lapis proved again that she wasn't one for mincing words.

"Pile of crap?"

Hurley flinched, but didn't argue with the Gem. "Well... when you put it like that, yeah. But the way I see it? Some planets are just rougher than others, and Dizmol kinda falls on the "rough" end of the spectrum. But there are definitely a few smoother edges here and there... ha, and speaking of smoother edges, have a look over yonder!" Hurley then pointed out beyond the cockpit, where a humble, if somber little port town was coming into view. While the buildings were rather dingy, the multitude of neon displays and signs breathed some much-needed life into it.

"Welcome to Krapton: the friendliest town in all of Dizmol! Which is... ha ha, not saying a whole lot. But still: it's a decent place all the same!"

Hurley flew the Dynamo towards a large steel building coated head to toe in rust, which Lapis could only assume was a public hangar of some kind due to the presence of a few other space ships among tons upon tons of empty parking spots. Hurley landed neatly in one of the many vacant spots, and rose from his seat while noisily popping his fingers.

"Well my girl, what are we waiting for? We've got a ship to take back!" Hurley pressed a button on the control console, and the door to the outside world opened up, letting the horrid stench air out into the depressing Dizmolan atmosphere. Letting Hurley lead due to his familiarity with the place, Lapis followed him outside.

Since they arrived, the rain seemed to soften to a mild drizzle and felt oddly pleasant as it pelted Lapis' skin and hair. But it seemed to be the only pleasant thing about Krapton: now that she and Hurley walked away from the hangar and took to the streets, the town looked even more pathetic than it did from a distance. Up close, the neon lights did little to hide the fact that almost every building was marred by streaks of rust, with a few outright caked with the stuff. Mold, filth, and trash lined the sidewalks and streets, and while not freezing, the atmosphere had an unpleasant mild chill to it. And the people... good lord, the  _people._ Lapis could feel depression set in just from looking at them: the short males and tall females alike were dressed in drab charcoal-color raincoats that felt more like funeral attire, and seemed to have one of three expressions on their faces as they walked around: a fang-baring scowl that bellied a deep-seated hatred for everything in life, a look of soul-crushing despair manifesting in welled-up eyes and horrifically comical frowns, or a completely neutral expression with all traces of emotion, positive or otherwise sucked out.

And Lapis felt an odd sense of discomfort and fascination from watching their interactions. They were never pleasant and only cropped up in a negative context: if two Hopkoblins bumped into each other, they'd yell something along the lines of "HEY I'M WALKIN' HERE!" or "Watch it, ya moron!". If an anti-grav car came close to hitting them while they crossed the streets, they'd flash what she could only assume was a Dizmolan obscene gesture while the vehicle's driver would blast the horn and swear at them. And sometimes?

"HEY, MOUTHBREATHER! WHADDYA LOOKIN' AT?!"

"I ain't lookin' at nothin', least of all your ugly mug!"

"UGLY?! WHY I OUGHTA-!"

Fights would just break out for no reason. Currently, a tall female and small male Hopkoblin were tumbling around on the ground, beating the absolute daylights out of one another while a crowd of onlookers either cheered them on and took sides, or swore at them for making a scene.

"Wow." Lapis replied with a shocked little whistle. Hurley however furrowed his brow and rolled back his sleeves before stomping over to the fight and effortlessly pulling them off of each other, before setting them on the ground. 

"Hey, hey, settle down, you two! There's no reason to get all ugly with each other, alright?!" Hurley scolded gently, prompting an irate snarl from the female combatant.

"Aw, butt out, gramps! This is between me and HIM!"

She sprung back to her feet and sucker punched Hurley right in the eye, and as he staggered backwards and cried out in pain, she threw herself back at the Hopkoblin much to the hecklers' rejoicing. Shocked by the cheap shot Hurley had received, Lapis ran to his side and gently placed a hand on his shoulder while he grit his teeth and held a hand over his eye.

"Hurley! Oh my god, are you okay?!" Lapis' query was met with a nod from the friendly alien, and the small smile that formed on his face put her mind at ease.

"Ha ha... yep! I've taken worse hits than this! Still hurts like a bugger, though..." Hurley removed his hand from his eye, and Lapis cringed at the sight of the swollen purple bruise surrounding it. "Honestly, I should've seen it coming for trying to stop a street brawl, but... hey, doesn't hurt to try, you know?"

Unwilling to stay near the fight a second longer, Lapis gestured away from the crowd. "Well just forget about them, okay? They're going to fight no matter what you do, so why don't we just go ahead and get my ship back already?"

Hurley stared forlornly at the ruckus on the street and breathed deeply before turning to face her. "Yeah, that's probably for the best. When you look at the bright side, this might be a form of catharsis for them or something..." But the frown on his face and the way his shoulders slumped made it clear he wasn't all too happy about just letting them fight it out. Hurley then led the way as he and Lapis made their way past gloomy, sulking Hopkoblins over near the center of town, where Lapis caught sight of a building with a large garage door at the front and a flickering neon sign hanging on the roof displaying runes spelling out "BIG BIZ TOWING". She grinned to herself, knowing that her brief time on this planet had finally come to an end.

"Aaaaaand here we are!" Hurley announced as he produced 5 milk cap-sized silver coins from his jumpsuit's chest pocket, each engraved with a rune meaning "10" on them, "All I've gotta do is slip Big Biz a few credits, and you'll be able to soar around the galaxy, free as a bird once again!" Hurley walked up to a wall-mounted panel near the door, pressed a large green button, and the door slid open. He bowed, and extended an enormous arm towards the open doorway. "After you, Miss!"

"Heh, thanks."

Lapis walked inside and Hurley followed. And Lapis had to admit: despite the nasty, grimy appearance of the building's exterior? It was oddly cozy on the inside. The half of the building she was in was a rather neat, well-kept waiting room with shiny polished steel flooring and walls, and a soft leather black couch and matching chairs seated around a monochrome checkerboard table where a few Hopkoblins in oil-stained pink jumpsuits watched some sort of music video of an alien band on a large, flat, wall-mounted device that was likely this galaxy's equivalent to a television. Meanwhile the other half was a garage with several impounded ships sitting neatly around green canisters of fuel and large carts full of power tools And over in the bottom far-right corner sat a familiar round green ship...

"Oh, hey! Sounds like I've got company! Wait a sec and I'll be right over~"

And speaking of familiarity, Lapis saw exactly what she hoped she wouldn't see: going by the name "Big  **Biz** " and the rowdy voice of the company's manager she had a feeling she knew her identity, but seeing it so soon after her run-in with that miserable bartender made her feel emotionally exhausted. Turns out that Big Biz was another Bismuth, one with long thick dreads that went down to her back, a thick metal band on her left hand's ring finger, dark brown skin with neon pink wrench tattoos on her shoulders, a sleeveless midriff baring maroon-and-black outfit that displayed the prismatic gemstone mounted on her belly, and surprisingly freaky hot pink pupils that rested in the center of her inky, void-like eyeballs. She stared menacingly at Lapis after walking back from a ship she had been inspecting, but despite her off-putting appearance, Lapis could detect no malice behind her wide grin and starry eyes.

"Oh... my... GOSH!" with a squeal of joy, Big Biz bounded across the room and before she had time to react, Lapis was swept up and spun around before having her face pressed against the Gem's solid, muscular chest in a powerful hug that was absolutely  _crushing_ her back. Lapis strained and cried out in pain, but it was drowned out by the Gem's inelegant gushing. "OhmygoshohmygoshOHMYGOSH! It's a Gem! A GEM! And on this planet, of all places!" Big Biz pulled a dizzy, groggy Lapis away from her chest and stared down in her face, a manic grin plastered across her face. "Oh my GOSH, do you have any idea how rare it is for a Gem to fly down here?"

"Ugh... Please, don-"

"TOO RARE, I TELL YA! C'mere, you!"

Lapis cried out as she hugged even tighter than before while Big Biz giggled like an enthusiastic child.

"Ow... ow... ow... ow... ow ow ow ow OW YOU'RE CRUSHING ME!" Lapis screamed, almost positive she could feel her Gem cracking. Thankfully, Biz got the message and set Lapis back on the ground. Lapis felt her back in a cold sweat, and sighed with relief when she felt no signs of chipping on the smooth surface of her gemstone. Realizing that she had still hurt the smaller Gem though, Biz rubbed the back of her head and chuckled, her cheeks blushing the same shade of pink as her tats and pupils.

"Whoa, there! Ha ha... real sorry about that, miss. You okay there?"

"Yeah, I'm fine..." Lapis stepped back and held up her hands defensively while Hurley let loose a bellowing laugh.

"Ha ha! Still don't know your own strength, huh Biz?!"

Big Biz glanced over behind Lapis, and her eyes went starry once again upon seeing the slovenly alien.

"Oh my GOSH! HURLEY! I didn't even see you there!"

Having been seized by a case of the giggles again, Biz ran forth and swept Hurley up in another hug, albeit with far more restraint than with Lapis which allowed Hurley to return the favor with a hug of his own.

"Oh, it's been  _so_ long! When was the last time you popped in for a visit, a year ago?"

"Two, sadly. I've been real busy on the other side of Nova Veluti: odd jobs, pest control, chasing the occasional bounty or two, you know how it is!"

After releasing Hurley from her iron grip, Biz glanced back at Lapis and grinned smugly at her. "Well you sure seem to be livin' it up since your last visit! I mean, you've got a cute girlfriend tagging along with ya now! Must be nice havin' her keep ya cozy when it gets lonely out in space..."

A simultaneous _**"WHOA!"**_ shook the very foundation of the garage in response to the Bismuth's innocent assumption.

"Ew, gross!" Lapis sputtered, absolutely horrified, "I mean, he's a nice guy and all, but have you SEEN his ship?! He's a slob!"

"Ha ha, whoa now, you've got the wrong idea!" Hurley chuckled jovially, "She's just a-"

"Ooh! You know what we should do?!" Biz continued, completely carried away and oblivious to her friend's protests, "We should totally fly over to Helmouth and hit up one of those fancy restaurants over there: you and that Lapis, me and Dink... ooh, we've always WANTED to do a double date!"

"Biz, come on-"

"Ooh, ooh! Or how about this: we fly offworld, over to say, one of Wysteria's moons and go on a little vacation together! Oh, that would be so much- HEY!"

Biz's tangent was interrupted by the sound of a *SPLASH!* and her being pelted in the face by a blob of water. Having grown annoyed with her rambling, Lapis snatched the drink out of a dumbstruck employee's canteen and flung it at her like a water balloon, hoping to silence her at least for a second. And it worked, with Big Biz falling silent and Lapis grinning triumphantly while she awkwardly chuckled and rubbed the back of her head once again.

"Ha ha, here I go gettin' carried away again... real sorry about that, you guys."

"No need to apologize, Biz!" Hurley nodded in reassurance, "But just listen to me for a bit: Blue and I? We're  _not_ an item! She's just a hitchhiker I picked up! Besides, I think you know I've got a thing for... _thicker_ women..."

Big Biz's laughter was preceded by a harsh snort, and her cheeks flushed brightly once more as she calmed down. "Yeah, that's true..."

"Anyway: Biz, meet Blue! Blue, meet Biz!"

"It's  _Lapis,_ " Lapis corrected before turning to Big Biz and shaking her hand, "But it's nice to meet you, I guess."

"Nice to meet you too, Lapis! I gotta say, it's nice to run into another Gem in this neck of the woods..." She then frowned and rose an eyebrow. "And on that note, what brings you guys out here anyway? I get the feelin' you aren't here for the fun of it..."

"Yeah, about that..." Lapis flushed indigo and awkwardly glanced to the escape pod over to the left. "I uh... kind of got my ship towed off..."

"Oh! So you're the owner of that one escape pod-lookin' ship!" Biz glanced over at the pod and placed her fingers around her chin. "Shoulda figured given that it's Gem tech and all, but considerin' the weird keypad on the front and the fact that it's y'know, an escape pod, I thought it was property of an organic who repurposed it or somethin'. Didn't think an upper cruster like you would fly around in somethin' like that!"

"Eh. Had to make do with what was on hand." Lapis shrugged. "Now can I have it back?"

"Sure thing! All you've gotta do is pay the 50 credit fee, and you're free to fly around once again!"

Hurley extended an arm forward, and offered his credits to Biz.

"You're footin' her bill, Hurley?"

"Yep! Poor Blue's new 'round these parts, and she doesn't really have a way to deal with this sort of thing yet. Since I've got the money, I may as well help out, you know?"

"Heh, eager to help as always, I see." Biz accepted the money, and placed a gentle hand on Lapis' shoulder. "Well miss: your debt's been paid in full! Feel free to zip and zoom around to your heart's content! But make sure ya park correctly, ya hear? 'Cuz if I have to send a guy to tow your ship again, well... I'll be  _very_ disappointed in you."

"Trust me, I've learned my lesson..." Lapis sighed while Hurley laughed merrily.

"Aw, don't take her too seriously, she's just playing with you! Right Biz?"

"Yup! I mean, I'd have to be if I'm still talkin' to this knucklehead over here!" Biz teased, slugging Hurley playfully on the arm. "I've had the Cosmic Dynamo towed, what, five times by now?"

"Whoa there! I'll have you know that those five times were spread across _twenty years_!" Hurley argued, pointing aggressively at Biz while unable to hide the silly grin on his face.

"Yeah, and three of 'em happened  _in the same friggin' week,_ ya moron!"

She slapped Hurley on the back and the bulky pair laughed like a pair of hearty revelers, their chortling practically loud enough to be heard through all of Dizmol. And it was infectious as well: Lapis found herself involuntarily smiling along with them.

"Seriously though, it's good to have you back, big guy!" Biz chuckled, "I tell ya, if you have time? We should totally swing by The Albino's Oasis for a drink! My hubby might appreciate that, ya know..."

"Ha, you think I'd visit Krapton without paying Dink a visit? Come on Biz, have a little faith in me!" While Biz guffawed, Hurley turned to Lapis and addressed her next. "Hey Blue, now that you have your ship back, all you need is some fuel and you'll be good, right?"

"Yeah."

"Ha, good to hear! But before we take care of that, would you be willing to accompany me and Biz to the local watering hole for a drink? Her husband tends bar there, and he just so happens to be a good friend of mine! Don't worry: the food's good, the drinks are  _spectacular_ , and more often than not? The company is pretty dang pleasant! As long as the Kazkanis aren't collecting, of course..."

Lapis wasn't sure what a Kazkani was, but overall she didn't think this "Albino's Oasis" place sounded half bad. While her experience at that rest stop did a lot to turn her off of the idea of bar hopping, Hurley seemed to make good judgement calls given the fact that Big Biz was exactly as pleasant as he advertised. Trusting his judgement, she nodded and smiled.

"Eh, sure. I guess I'd like to go with you guys!"

"Ha ha, that's the spirit, Blue!" Hurley swung an arm, laughing triumphantly. "Now come on ladies, time's a-wasting! If we hoof it, we should get there  _right_ before happy hour ends!"

And so, the trio made their way out of the garage and onto the mean streets of Krapton. And despite the glares of the civilians they passed on their way to the bar, Lapis couldn't help but feel that Dizmol's atmosphere was starting to feel just a smidge friendlier...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well I'm sorry for the delay, folks! But this chapter got put on hold for a number of reasons: me not feeling confident with where to take a certain character's arc, me hitting a big emotional low, me losing myself in Kingdom Hearts 3 to escape said low... but now, it's here! Aaaaaand Chapter 7 might get a delay since I'm switching gears to work on a one-shot story for a friend on DA. But more will come all the same!
> 
> But anyway... Krapton! This planet has, hilariously enough, gone through one concept, turned into another, then transformed back into this! I wanted the first planet Lapis visited to be this depressing little hellhole that sucked all the joy out of the people who lived on it, but couldn't settle on a way to convey it. The first concept? Was actually similar to the final one: a dull grey, nearly lifeless planet populated by chronically depressed/angry goblins, but it would have been a result of Homeworld invading it and trying to speed-run terraforming it before being driven away, which was alluded to in chapter 3. But given Lapis' likely role with Gem Kindergartens (terraforming) I would have realistically given her baggage relating to feeling guilty about seeing the effect it had on the planet and I didn't want to deal with her being all depressed and angsty... yet. So I retooled it into a heavily polluted, toxic hellhole as a result of Dizmol being crapped on and somehow the designated waste and refuse dumping ground of the galaxy. Then I felt turned off by that since realistically, no one would be able to survive on a planet like that so I looped around to the boring, depressing planet sans Gem Kindergartens... which still exist, but I dunno if I'll tackle them since they'll never be really important to the story.
> 
> And as for it's inhabitants? The Hopkoblins are based off the cryptid known as the Hopkinsville Goblins, strange alien creatures that allegedly attacked a family of farmers in 1950's Kentucky. I love weird goblin/orcish creatures in general so why not adapt them in my story? Expect a few other alien cryptids to follow suit... And as a little quirk I added, the females being taller than the males are pretty much me being shameless with author appeal: I love tall female/small male pairings. Sue me. :p
> 
> And for the last point of interest... Big Biz. Ha ha, I had way more fun writing her than I thought. The main driving force, of course, is my love of Bismuth and the fact that I wanted to incorporate a few of my own: Lilac, then her! And Big Biz was meant to contrast Lilac's grumpiness and aggression by being a super sweet cuddlebug (With a dash of Bismuth grit, of course). I was actually inspired by a theory that gem placement on the belly meant that the Gem was super sweet and nice (Which seems to have a good track record save Navy, unless she really IS that genuinely sweet outside of interacting with Steven and the gang) as well as this picture of a super affectionate Jasper in particular: http://coconutcows.tumblr.com/post/145870887836/give-us-the-cuddly-belly-jasper. And as far as her weird, outlandish design goes? I based her off of what basically everyone thought she'd look like before her debut episode (https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/001/123/129/245.png) combined with bits of Bismuth's design seen in concept art (Mainly the eyes: https://66.media.tumblr.com/fa83957240582543f6615710d2b2cf93/tumblr_omb3ysC7vz1rg3t2eo1_400.png). Because god damn, I really loved the theorized look as well as the concept art and couldn't resist incorporating it for fun.
> 
> Anyway, after my Valentine's one shot, the story picks up after another two week break! See you guys then!


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